Lensmen beaten up, Samata MLA arrested

PATNA: Five photo-journalists were severely beaten up allegedly by Samata Party supporters in the presence of party national general secretary and MLA Satish Kumar near the Income-Tax roundabout on Friday. Police have arrested the MLA and forwarded him to jail.
The photo-journalists had gone to cover the dharna organised by Samata supporters in protest against the killing of a contractor and Samata leader Kameshwar Singh near Punpun Ghat halt, a short distance from here, on Thursday.
The party supporters were reportedly angry over reports in a section of the media about the slain leader.
On receipt of information about the lensmen’s assault, a large number of journalists blocked road near the Income-Tax roundabout. They also gheraoed the Samata Party office on Beer Chand Patel Path.
As many as 22 persons were arrested by the police from the dharna site. City SP O N Bhaskar confirmed the MLA’s arrest. Satish Kumar had been named as an accused in a case lodged with the Kotwali police station by the photo-journalists under Sections 147, 148, 323, 341, 307 and 379 of the IPC. Former MLA and Samata leader Punam Kumari is, however, absconding.
The trouble began when Samata supporters attacked a lensman, Ajit Kumar, who had gone to cover their dharna. According to Ajit, a report published in the daily represented by him about the killing of Kameshwar had invited the ire of Samata supporters. When other photo-journalists complained to Satish Kumar, the party supporters attacked them also. Those beaten up this time were Ravi, Prashant, A P Dubey and Ranjit.
The news spread like wild fire among mediapersons who rushed to the Income-Tax roundabout and blocked the road. Police immediately arrested 22 persons from the dharna site. The MLA denied his involvement in this incident.
Then the mediapersons went to Samata Party office and gheraoed the same. When the Samata MLA reached there, the police detained him and took him to the Kotwali police station.
The mediapersons also reached the police station and sat on dharna there, demanding the MLA’s arrest. But the city SP told them the police will investigate the MLA’s involvement in the incident. Later, the MLA was put under arrest.
While talking to TNN, the MLA denied his involvement in this incident.