GUWAHATI: Two Delhi-based women journalists, arrested by Tripura police after they were booked on various charges, including criminal conspiracy, in connection with the recent violence in the state, were granted bail by a local court on Monday.
Sammriddhi K Sakunia and Swarna Jha, both employees of HW News Network, were granted bail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Gomati on a surety of Rs 75,000. The court asked them to report to the Kakraban police station on Tuesday.
Earlier, two cases were filed against them with Fatikroy and Kakraban police stations. They had arrived in Tripura on November 11 and visited some areas hit by the recent violence.
Kanchan Das, who is a supporter of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, had filed an FIR with the Fatikroy police station alleging that the duo visited some houses of one community under Fatikroy Assembly segment and made some inciting comments against another community and conspiratorial remarks against the state government.
The two scribes had sought time from the police for appearance in this case and accordingly, a notice was served on them for an appearance on November 21.
The Kakraban police station case, filed suo moto, pertains to social media posts. They had left Tripura on Saturday morning but were detained in Assam’s Karimganj by the Assam police as sought by the Tripura police and brought to Tripura on transit remand for production before the court.
In a statement, the Tripura police had said on Sunday that the duo’s “complicity has been transpired in connection with the Kakraban police station case regarding the creation of hatred between communities by fabricating, concealing of record etc in furtherance of a criminal conspiracy as revealed from the tweeter post posted by Sammriddhi Sakunia.”
“…She posted a video of her visit to the half-burned prayer hall damaged by mischievous fire in the house of one Rahamat Ali of Hurijala…to claim that one holy Quran was burned in the incident occurred in the night of 19/10/2021...This is contrary to the findings so far revealed in course of investigation as the presence of no such damaged books/documents was brought to the notice of investigating officer and fire service staff who extinguished the fire,” the statement reads.
Accusing the duo of making an escape towards Assam, the Tripura police said they were earlier found involved in “spreading communal hatred at Paul Bazaar under Fatikroy police station under North Tripura (district).”