BALANGIR: Balangir police on Monday arrested three persons and detained a juvenile in connection with the assault on a TV journalist in Khulthipali village under Puintala police limits on May 23.
Balangir SP Abhilash G told mediapersons that the accused, identified as Avinash Dalai (25), Aditya Jena (31) and Gumar Nayak (40) have been arrested, and a minor detained. However, the mastermind Gajendra Dalai, a contractor, is absconding.
The incident occurred in Khulthipali, where the journalist Bijaya Pradhan had gone to investigate a case related to the construction of a guard wall. He was allegedly bound, assaulted, abused and detained for nearly three hours by a group of people. A video of the incident went viral on the social media, triggering widespread outrage. The attackers also looted two of his mobile phones and damaged his camera.
Following the attack, Pradhan filed a complaint at Puintala police station and the three accused were arrested on Monday. However, a delay in police response drew sharp criticism from journalists and civil society alike.