Dhanbad journalists warn of indefinite blockade over inaction against Congress leader

SUBHASH MISHRA

Dhanbad, April 24: Journalists in Dhanbad staged a dharna at Randhir Verma Chowk on Thursday, issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to the district administration to arrest Congress district executive president Rashid Raza.

The media fraternity warned that failure to act would result in an indefinite blockade of the collectorate gate starting Saturday, April 26.

Journalists Demand Swift Action in Assault Case

The protest was held in response to an incident on April 16, in which Rashid Raza, along with his sons and brothers, allegedly assaulted several journalists. An FIR has been registered, and both the district administration and the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee have conducted inquiries. However, the accused remain at large even after eight days.

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Addressing the protest, Dhanbad Press Club president Sanjeev Jha and general secretary Ajay Prasad accused the police of making only symbolic raids at Raza’s residence. “It seems there is pressure from the government, which is why no arrests have been made yet,” they said.

Ultimatum Handed to District Administration

Following the protest, the journalists met with Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rajesh Kumar and submitted a formal ultimatum. They announced that if the arrests are not made within 48 hours, they will begin an indefinite blockade of the collectorate gate on Saturday.

“We are even prepared to face arrest if required for blocking the gate,” the journalists told the SDM.

SDM Rajesh Kumar assured them that he would speak with the Deputy Commissioner and the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) to expedite the arrest of Rashid Raza and the other named accused.

Protest Relocated Due to Denied Permission

The journalists had initially planned to stage their dharna at the collectorate gate. However, due to the administration denying permission for the protest at that location, they chose Randhir Verma Chowk as the alternative site. Nevertheless, the media persons reaffirmed their decision to hold the blockade at the collectorate gate starting Saturday.

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Raza’s Bail Plea Rejected

Meanwhile, Rashid Raza’s bail application was rejected in court on Thursday. Press Club’s legal representative, Advocate Abhay Bhatt, said that Principal District and Sessions Judge Virendra Kumar Tiwari directed the authorities to produce the case diary and medical reports of the injured journalists during the next hearing.

Attack Details: Cameras Broken, Phones Snatched

According to the FIR, Rashid Raza, his sons, and brothers allegedly attacked seven journalists during a Congress rally on April 16 organized to protest the National Herald case. The accused reportedly damaged cameras and snatched mobile phones from the journalists who were filming the event.