My Husband’s Arrest Was an Attempt to Throttle Media: Santu Pan’s Wife in NHRC Complaint

Sandeshkhali, West Bengal: Following the unlawful arrest of R Bangla journalist Santu Pan on Monday evening by West Bengal Police while reporting on the breakdown of law and order in Sandeshkhali, on Tuesday Santu Pan’s family moved the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC).

Santu Pan’s family has approached the NHRC against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to arrest the R Bangla journalist. The complaint copy details the scale of attack on the individual journalist and the media.

The complaint outlines, “On the evening of 19 February 2024, my husband and Republic Bangla reporter Santu Pan was arrested with an outright attempt to throttle the media from reporting on the accounts of crimes against women in Sandeshkhali. Republic Bangla’s reporting team has brought forth accounts of multiple women in Sandeshkhali alleging politically institutionalised mass rape, political protection of the perpetrators and an environment of fear instilled into the victims.”

“My husband Santu Pan had conducted a live show from the ground on the Republic Bangla channel, which has consistently been reporting from Sandeshkhali as part of its ongoing investigative reportage on crimes against women in West bengal. Hours after the live telecast, with outright malafide intent and sheer malice in law, Santu Pan was not allowed to leave Sandeshkhali,” the complaint added.

“The footage shows that he was encircled by multiple law and order officers and forced into illegal detention without being served any notice. Neither me, as his wife nor his legal team, were given any intimation of any notice/FIR/illegal detention. I have only been able to access the Arrest Memo after seeing the horrific visuals of my husband being physically assaulted by the local police and dragged to a police station. Santu Pan’s arrest saw local police encircling him, physically assaulting him, before taking him into illegal custody and arrest. Furthermore, it is established in the LIVE TV footage that Santu Pan continued to excercise his right to report despite being physically assaulted by the local police at the time of arrest," it further stated.

The complaint underscores the following demands:

• Immediate release of Santu Pan and ensure his safety and well-being in custody
• To conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, including the circumstances leading to the arrest and the physical assault on the reporter
• Hold those responsible for the assault and arbitrary arrest accountable under the law
• Advocate for the protection of press freedom and the rights of journalists in the state of Bengal

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