Guwahati, March 30: The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) has accused the Assam Police of misusing the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to falsely arrest journalist Dilawar Hussain Mozumdar, alleging that the move was politically motivated to suppress press freedom and protect corruption in the Assam State Cooperative Apex Bank.
Addressing a press conference held at the AJP office in Guwahati on Sunday, party spokesperson Ziaur Rahman said the court had strongly criticized the police for invoking the SC/ST Act without evidence. The court, in its bail order, dismissed the allegations of caste-based abuse and robbery against Mazumdar, stating that the charges were unsubstantiated.
Mazumdar was arrested on March 25 while covering a protest by AJP’s youth wing, Jatiya Yuva Shakti, which was demanding a probe into alleged financial irregularities at Apex Bank. Despite securing bail on March 26, he was re-arrested the next day on fresh charges. However, the court again granted him bail on March 28, criticizing the police for failing to provide evidence.
Rahman accused the ruling BJP of orchestrating the arrest, claiming that the police were being used as a tool to intimidate journalists. “The SC/ST Act was enacted to protect marginalized communities, not as a political weapon. The police failed to prove any of their allegations against Mazumdar,” Rahman said.
He further alleged that the conspiracy behind Mazumdar’s arrest went beyond Apex Bank officials. He pointed out that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in his March 27 speech, spent a significant portion of his address justifying the journalist’s arrest, making it clear that the state government was involved in the move to silence critical journalism.
AJP leaders also exposed large-scale financial mismanagement at Apex Bank. Rahman revealed that Rajesh Bajaj, a businessman previously linked to the Saradha scam, had withdrawn ₹60.30 crore through a banned Demand Bill Purchasing system between 2019 and 2023. Of this, ₹30 crore was approved when Sarma was the bank’s chairman.
“If the Chief Minister is truly committed to transparency, he should immediately order the arrest of Rajesh Bajaj and initiate an impartial probe,” Rahman demanded.
The developments have sparked widespread condemnation from opposition leaders and civil society groups, who see the police’s actions as an attack on press freedom. AJP leaders Girin Talukdar and Chandra Pal Baruah, who were also present at the press conference, reiterated the demand for an independent investigation.
