TV journalist shot in Manipur’s Senapati

A TV journalist was shot in Manipur’s Senapati district while he was covering a flower festival, police said on Sunday.

Deep Saikia, a journalist of the Nagaland-based Hornbill TV, received gunshot wounds on his armpits and legs, they said.

The incident happened on Saturday evening in Laii village of the Naga-dominated district, where Saikia was covering the Zinnia flower festival, they added.

Saikia, who hails from Assam’s Jorhat, was first taken to the Senapati district hospital and later shifted to Nagaland for further treatment, police said.

The gunman was caught along with an air gun by the locals and handed over to the police.

Police said they were investigating the motive behind the attack on the journalist.

A few days back, Nagaland’s Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton had berated Saikia at a public event in Wokha district over his reporting.

Hornbill TV editor Dzuthono Mekro condemned the attack, calling it an assault on press freedom and democratic values.

He also urged the governments of Nagaland and Manipur to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation.