TV Journalist from Assam’s Jorhat shot at in Manipur, gunman held with air gun

Imphal/Jorhat, August 31: A TV journalist was injured in a shooting incident in Manipur's Senapati district on Saturday evening while covering a local flower festival, police said.

Deep Saikia, a reporter with Nagaland-based Hornbill TV, sustained gunshot wounds to his armpits and legs during the Zinnia Flower Festival in Laii village, a Naga-majority area.

He was initially admitted to Senapati district hospital and later transferred to Dimapur in Nagaland for further treatment.

The assailant was apprehended by locals along with an air gun and handed over to the police. Authorities are currently investigating the motive behind the attack.

The incident follows a recent public confrontation involving Saikia and Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton at an event in Wokha district, where Patton criticised the journalist over his reporting.

Saikia’s mother, speaking to The Assam Tribune from Naharkatiya in Assam, expressed concern for her son’s wellbeing.

“I wasn’t aware of my son being shot. When my youngest son told me and I switched on the TV, I heard that a man has been arrested. Reports say the accused was shooting birds when the bullet hit my son. I just want my son to return home hale and hearty,” she said.

Hornbill TV editor Dzuthono Mekro condemned the attack, describing it as “an assault on press freedom and democratic values.”

Both the Nagaland and Manipur governments have been urged to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation.

This is a developing story and more details are awaited.

With inputs from PTI