Tripura: Journalist Manas Pal gets death threat, press bodies seek arrests

Two journalists' organisations in Tripura have demanded swift police action after veteran journalist Manas Pal received a death threat on social media. An FIR has been registered over the threat, according to reports in the state's media.

Pal, who has reported on crime and insurgency in Tripura for decades and has written a book on the subject, said the threat appeared on Wednesday, October 29, as a response linked to one of his posts.

What prompted the threat

According to Tripurainfo and ENewsTime, Pal had written on social media about a past criminal case often referred to as the Raisyabari gang-rape case, and named an NLFT local area commander, Haflong Jamatia, as having been linked to it. His post also referred to Jamatia's death during a police operation on February 21, 2000, after he reportedly tried to escape. The National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) is a banned insurgent group.

An account using the name "Jyoti Chakma" (also reported as "Joyti Chakma") then posted that Pal should be killed in broad daylight, the reports said. Speaking to a local news channel, Pal said he suspected the account could be fake and that he could not even tell whether the person behind it was a man or a woman. He said his post had recalled a historical incident and did not target anyone.

NEInsider has not independently verified who runs the account. The allegations have to be examined by the police.

Press bodies demand action

The Assembly of Journalists (AOJ) said in a statement on Thursday that the threat was a serious concern for journalists' safety and for freedom of expression. It asked the police to identify and arrest those responsible, register a suo motu case and provide security to Pal. The AOJ said details of the people allegedly behind the threats were visible on social media and the police should act without delay.

On Saturday the Agartala Press Club also condemned the threat, calling it unacceptable to threaten a journalist for doing his job, Tripura Star News reported. The club said it expected a thorough and speedy investigation now that an FIR has been filed, and that journalists must be able to work freely and safely.

Pal: the state must protect everyone

Pal said threats and attacks are among the risks that come with journalism, and recalled colleagues in Tripura who had lost their lives. But he argued that the police must protect any citizen who faces a genuine threat, not just journalists.

There has been no public statement from Tripura Police on the case so far, and no arrest has been reported. NEInsider will update this story when the police share details of the investigation.

The threat comes as Tripura prepares for urban local body elections on November 27, a period in which local reporters are especially busy covering politics across the state.