Journalists stage sit-in at police station in Raipur, women scribes allege molestation

RAIPUR: Journalists in Chhattisgarh capital are sitting on a dharna in front of the civil lines police station, alleging that policemen molested and pushed around female scribes while they were trying to talk to senior Journalist Vinod Verma, who has been remanded to police custody by a court in connection with the sex video clip case.
Women journalists, mostly working with local television channels, alleged that they were inappropriately touched by policemen when they approached Vinod Verma for a comment after he was remanded to police custody.Agitated journalists strongly protested against the behaviour of policemen and left the court premises.
Later, the women journalists, accompanied by their colleagues, marched to the civil line police station demanding registration of an FIR against policemen involved in the incident. However, police refused to lodge a complaint, forcing the journalists to stage a dharna. The agitation is continuing till filing this report.
An young woman journalist, with whom the policemen misbehaved, said no women constables were present at the court premises. She alleged that a policeman pushed and kicked her.
Telephones of senior police officers remained unanswered while the state government is yet to react to the allegations of three female journalists and others, who said the police roughed them up.