THE FIR

To


The Officer-in-charge

Salboni Police Station

West Midnapore

West Bengal 03-09-‘10





Sir,

At around 2:40pm on 03-09-’10 (Friday), we, Pranab Mandal and Amit Dutta of The Telegraph, Sambit Pal and Suraj Pandey of Times Now, Arnab Mukhopadhyaya, Sudip Guchhait and Amitava Ratha of Star Ananda, were proceeding towards Chandra from Pirakata in two cars (WB 20G 8864/Innova and WB 04D 4650/Scorpio) bearing stickers of Star Ananda and Times Now respectively, being driven by Subodh Roy and Mahesh Burman. As we reached near the Pirakata joint forces’ camp, we were checked at the check post and allowed to proceed after we identified ourselves.

As we moved about 2 kilometers from the joint forces’ camp on the same road, we were suddenly intercepted by a group of 15-20 persons who were armed with small arms tucked under their shirts/t-shirts, bamboo sticks, sticks and iron rods. They were in jeans –shirt, lungi, t-shirts, kurta, etc. one of them covered his face with ‘gamchha’ and wearing black t-shirt. They opened the doors of the cars and asked why we have come here. Before we could say anything they started threshing us, snatched our cameras and mobile phones. Despite telling them repeatedly that we were from media houses, they didn’t listen to us. Immediately started hitting us with iron rods, bamboo sticks and sticks. They smashed the cars’ wind screens, window glasses and backlights. They badly damaged our cars.



We were dragged out of the cars, thrashed to the ground, brutally beaten up. Pranab Mandal of Telegraph suffered fracture on his left arm (the fracture was detected later through X-ray in Midnapore town) and his arm started bleeding at the spot, Sambit Pal suffered injury on his left arm and fingers which are swollen. Amitava Ratha suffered injury on his left hand and there is suspected hairline fracture. Amitava Ratha also suffered injury on his lower right leg. Star Ananda cameraperson Sudip Guchhait also suffered injury on his left hand and neck. Suraj Pandey got hit by bamboo sticks on his back, Telegraph photographer Amit Dutta got hurt on his arms and neck. All of us suffered injuries while they were beating us up at the same spot.



These armed goons identified themselves as CPIM cadres. There were CPIM red flags all over the area, on trees, little shops, huts, etc. These CPIM goons while beating us abused us and kept saying in Bengali,

“ki re tora harmad der camp dekhte esechhis? Dekh, toder ki dekhai!”


“tora kothay chili jokhon amader kormira gramchhara chhilo? Jokhon amader meyeder darshon kora holo, tokhon asis ni ekhon amader camp dekhte esechhis?”


“ke toder pathiyeche? Mamata na shuvendu?”


“dekhachhi toder sob.”


“ nam siggiri gari theke. Ekhane keno esechhis?”


“toder hat kete fele rekhe debo.” “toder ekhane asar ki jogyota ache?”



After a while, they forced us to go back but halted our cars agains to force it back to the same sport. We were threaten that we would be killed and our bodies would be buried there itself. We were asked to sit in front of a little shop there. At that time two CPIM leaders named Madhusudan Mahato, (aprox age 50), Local Committee Secretary, Pirakata, CPIM, Jagannath Mahato (Aprox age 55-60), a local CPIM senior leader of Salboni area reached the spot and told us in threatening voice, “ekhane ki korte esechhen aapnara? Ekhane keu ase? Joutha bahinir camp theki ba apnader edike ke aste dilo? Mar khaben e. edike ki camp khujte esechhilen? Jak ekhon ja bolbo tai karun. Jemon bhabe bolbo temon bhabe jaben. Ekhan theke jaben na. mar khawai toh swabhabik.beshi barabari korben na. ekdom chupchap bosun.”

Then these two leaders called a cadre and told him to take our cars towards Satpati. As we requested them to allow us to go through the road we came from by the Pirakata camp of joint forces/ they prevented us and said, “ja bolchhi kor, noyto punte rekhe debo.” We were silenced. We requested them to return our cameras and mobile phones. After repeated requests, they have returned some mobile phones but seized three mobile phones (the numbers are 9433447231, 9830996089 and 9433096809)

They’ve returned the cameras abut one camera’s view finder was damaged. Then we were instructed to get into the cars and follow the motorbikes two of the CPIM cadres were riding. As we followed them through a ‘moram’ road, we saw a CPIM camp with CPIM flags all over , in a building which was equipped with a generator and bunkers. As we reached the main road (Pirakata to Bhadutala road) near Satpati, we were freed to go and they asked us not to stop anywhere.

Before we left the spot, we were offered money as compensation and bribe as Madhusudan Mahato and Jagannath Mahato threatened us ,”takata nin. Kichhu jeno ei niye lekhalikhi korben na.” we refused to take the money and left the place. We came directly to the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital to see the doctor at the emergency ward. After medical check up we came straight to lodge the complaint.



We are herby lodging the complaint with you to take legal action applying appropriate sections of law and by initiating a case against the above mentioned miscreants.



Thanking you,

Yours truly,



Sd/- Sambit Pal

Arnab Mukherjee

Suraj Pandey

Amitava Rath

Pranab Mandal

Amit Dutta

Sudip Guchhait