HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, March 29: The body of senior journalist Purbajyoti Chutia was found in a small water channel, near his residence in Sewali Path area of Hatigaon in the city on Monday morning.
Chutia was reported missing since 10.30 pm on Sunday, and his body was recovered from a water channel in front of his residence on Monday morning.
His body has no major injury mark, as the police observed, and thus there remains a mystery surrounding the untimely death of Chutia (around 53 years old).
Police have also reportedly found two ‘objectionable messages’ from an unknown number in Chutia’s cell phone.
Chutia started his career as a sports journalist in popular Assamese daily ‘Aajir Batori’, and later shifted to ‘Amar Asom’ and ‘Dainik Janasadharan’.
Lately he was associated with ‘Niyomiya Barta’ as an assistant editor. Very amicable in nature, Chutia was a prolific sports columnist. He leaves behind his wife, a daughter and a host of relatives & well-wishers.
On the basis of cell phone records, the police have picked up one person for questioning.
The person has been identified as one Zulfikar.
Police have also seized the mobile handset of the deceased journalist for further verification into the case.
“We have picked up one person for questioning and waiting for the final post mortem report. We have seized the mobile phone of the journalist to verify possible external links into the case,” said a senior police official.
The Journalists Association of Assam (JAA) and the National Union of Journalists India (NUJI) have demanded a judicial probe into the mysterious death of Chutia. In a letter sent to Governor Jagdish Mukhi, NUJI national vice president and chief advisor of JAA Bhupen Goswami, JAA president Dhirendra Nath Chakraborty and secretary Sudip Sharma Chaudhary suspected that the sports journalist’s body had clearly visible injuries.
The two journalist organisations have demanded the government to provide Rs 30 lakh as a financial assistance to the family of the deceased.
Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) expresses shock and grief over the mysterious death of a city based senior journalist.
JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria urged the police to investigate Chutia’s unusual death and find out the actual reason behind the incident so that the media fraternity can console themselves over the loss of a very dedicated scribe.
