NEW DELHI: Over 180 cases were registered for attacks on media persons between 2014 to 2016. The data was submitted in response to a question in Parliament.
While 114 cases of attacks on media persons were registered in 2014, the number came down to just 28 in 2015. During 2016, the number again rose to 47.
The highest number of cases registered in 2014 — 24 — was from Madhya Pradesh. While 63 cases were filed in Uttar Pradesh, 22 cases were registered in Chattisgarh. In 2015, too, MP reported the highest number of cases at 19.
No data was received from West Bengal during all three years.
The data was in accordance with monthly information collected for cases registered under Sections 325, 326, 326 A and 326 B of the IPC.
According to the Parliament response, the I&B Ministry implements a ‘journalist welfare scheme’ to provide one-time ex gratia to journalists or their families under extreme ‘hardship on account of the death of journalists, and to the journalist in case of permanent disability, major ailments and in case of accidents causing ‘serious injuries’.