NEW DELHI, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- A journalist working with vernacular daily was shot dead by a policeman in India's northeastern state of Tripura, police said Wednesday.
The journalist Sudip Datta Bhaumick, was gunned down inside headquarters of Tripura State Rifles (TSR), a police force raised in the lines of paramilitary, in West Tripura, about 20 km from Agartala, the capital city of the state.
"Yesterday, a journalist was gunned down inside the headquarters of the 2nd battalion of TSR," Abhijit Saptarshi, a senior police officer at West Tripura said. "The TSR constable has been arrested."
The 48-year old Bhaumick was a reporter associated with "Syandan Patrika," a Bengali newspaper.
Police said they were investigating the case to ascertain the reason behind the sudden killing.
"The investigation to ascertain what had actually transpired between the constable and journalist is underway," Saptarshi said.
Local media quoted Syandan Patrika editor, Subal Kumar Dey, as saying that his reporter went to the headquarter after obtaining formal permission from the commandant.
"Sudip Datta Bhaumik, who was a senior journalist with our newspaper, had gone to meet the commandant of the 2nd battalion of TSR on Tuesday after obtaining a due appointment from him. But when he reached there he apparently had an argument with a personal security officer (PSO) of the commandant, during which the PSO shot at him," Dey was quoted by Indian Express as having said.
The killing comes two months after a local TV journalist was hacked to death by mob in the district, when he was covering an agitation by the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura.
