3 Journalists Attacked By Stone Crusher Unit Workers in Kaziranga

When the National Green Tribunal sought a report from the Ministry of Environment and Forest on the industrial units functioning in Kaziranga National Park in Assam, three journalist were attacked by a labourers group near a stone crusher unit near the park, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place in Borbheta Borjuri area, the responsibility of Bokakhat police station, in Golaghat district near the Park. When the three journalists entered the area near the stone crusher, owned by SP Agarwal and Hari Prasad Agarwal, a 14 member-group attacked them.

“When we went to the stone crusher unit to gather reports, an angry mob of 14 people, who worked in the crusher unit attacked us. The group also snatched away our camera and crushed it,” one of the journalists said.

The case was then registered at Bokakhat Police station.

“We have already started investigation on the incident,” a police official said.

Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal asked the Ministry of Environment and Forests to conduct a survey in the Kaziranga National Park vicinity.

The Tribunal also expressed that illegal mining activities, stone crushers, brick kilns, stone quarries, and tea factories have been operating in the park which is home to a tiger reserve and elephant reserve in Karbi Anglong.

Hemanta Kumar Nath is a correspondent in Assam, India, who reports on local news in Assam, the north east Indian state.