Journalists in Nashik are planning to agitate and send memorandums to the collector and the chief minister to protest against the attack on Daily Sakal chief reporter Mahendra Mahajan by the police on Saturday.
Readers may recall that on Saturday, local party MLAs and farmers refused to allow guardian minister Girish Mahajan to enter the collector’s office before the water-planning meeting. The police had to use mild lathi charge to clear the way. Mr Mahajan was roughed up during the fracas, sources said. He was admitted to Suyesh Hospital.
Following the incident, reporter Mahendra filed a complaint against DCP Avinash Bargal. Mahendra said that during the lathi charge, he was cornered by DCP Bargal and the riot-control personnel. “The police said that I wrote regularly against police and beat me up.
Two other journalists and a photographer managed to pull me out. Later, the police officer said ‘You got away this time,’” Mahendra said.
On Sunday afternoon, Leftist leaders Dr D.L. Karad, Sridhar Deshpande and other journalists attended a protest meeting held at Hutatma Smarak here they decided to hold a protest on Monday and give a memorandum to the collector and the chief minister. They have also decided to ask the government to launch a high-level inquiry into the incident and to suspend Mr Bargal.
