mob-assaults-journalists-in-tonk-camera-set-on-fire

A journalist and a video cameraperson from PTI were attacked and injured by a mob on Thursday in Tonk district, Rajasthan, while covering protests related to the arrest of Independent candidate Naresh Meena.

The assault occurred amid escalating unrest following the arrest of Meena, a former Congress leader now contesting as an Independent in the bypolls.

Reporter Ajeet Shekhawat and cameraperson Dharmendra Kumar were preparing to interview Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena, who was at the scene to assess the situation, when the crowd turned hostile.

The attack left both journalists badly injured, and their camera was seized and set on fire by members of the mob.

In a selfie video sent to the PTI head office in Delhi, Shekhawat, visibly shaken and bleeding from an injury under his left eye, recounted the assault.

"Dharmendra has suffered a head gash and may have a fractured arm," Shekhawat reported. Both men were taken to a hospital by a colleague.

VIDEO | "I and cameraman Dharmendra were in Aligarh village (in Tonk district) where people had blocked the road. Kirodi Lal Meena was addressing the people when all of a sudden, the crowd turned aggressive... they turned towards us and surrounded the cameraman, the mob beat us… pic.twitter.com/8l5Avpjeig

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 14, 2024

Following the incident, the Chief Minister's Office directed senior police officials to provide immediate security for the injured PTI team. 

Additionally, the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) of Sawai Madhopur was instructed to ensure the journalists received proper medical attention. Both Shekhawat and Kumar received initial treatment at a private hospital in Sawai Madhopur before being transferred to Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur, where they remain under observation and are undergoing further tests at the trauma centre.

 

Several state officials, including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel, Minister of State (Home) Jawahar Singh Bedham, and Chief Minister's media advisors Anand Sharma and Hiren Joshi, visited the journalists in hospital.

 

The ministers condemned the attack, vowing that those responsible would be identified and prosecuted with "the strictest enforcement of the law."

 

Congress leader Sachin Pilot also denounced the attack, expressing his condemnation via social media platform X and urging swift action against the assailants.

 

The violence in Tonk erupted on Wednesday evening after police attempted to prevent supporters of Naresh Meena from staging a dharna.

 

Tensions escalated when Meena, in an incident captured on camera, slapped SDM Malpura Amit Chaudhary, who was on duty to oversee the elections.