Journalist assaulted by Gujarat riot convict

A former TV journalist was allegedly assaulted by a convict of the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case in Gujarat when she had gone to interview him at his Ahmedabad house on Wednesday evening.

Former NDTV journalist Revati Laul, who has been living in Ahmedabad for over a year to write a book on the convicts of the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case, alleged that she was punched and slapped by Suresh Chhara when she asked him some questions during an interview at his house in Naroda area of Ahmedabad.

Ms Laul claims that she managed to escape after Suresh Chhara’s son and some neighbours intervened. On contacting Ms Laul, she said: ”Few months back when Chhara was out on parole, he raped his wife. She turned to me for help. Hence, when I went to interview Chhara, he got violent and attacked me thinking that his wife separated from him because of me. I am working on my book since one year and have been trying to come in touch with Chhara and his family.”

Ms Laul said she had visited the convict at his house and she politely asked him if he wanted to share information about himself, his past, family and he, without provocation, started slapping me. “He kept on punching me and banged my head to the wall. I somehow managed to flee from the spot.”

Ms Laul was treated at a government hospital and she later lodged a complaint with the Vejalpur police station. She has been living in Ahmedabad for over a year, working on her book.

Suresh Chhara was convicted to 31 years in prison in 2013 for his involvement in the Naroda Patiya massacre — one of the bloodiest episodes in the 2002 Gujarat riots — in which around 100 people were killed. He was released on parole by a local court last week reportedly to trace his teenage daughter who has been missing since the last few months.