Journalists Assaulted and Held Hostage After Exposing RTO Corruption in Madhya Pradesh

Assailants broke the camera and microphone of a cameraman during news coverage in Indore.

Indore:

Two journalists were assaulted and detained against their will after they exposed an alleged corruption network within the Regional Transport Office (RTO) Department in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district on Friday.

Hemant Sharma, a reporter working with a national news channel, and his cameraman Raja Sharma were held captive for several hours by an angry mob in Indore.

The attackers damaged the cameraman's equipment while he was recording a news segment. The incident was revealed when brief footage of the attack appeared on social media platforms.

The widely shared video displays approximately six to eight men attacking Hemant Sharma and cameraman Raja Sharma in Indore. Several individuals are shown assaulting the journalists while others attempt to intervene and stop the attack.

After being alerted to the situation, local police quickly responded and freed the journalists. They were immediately transported to a hospital for medical care.

This violent incident occurred one week after the journalists had uncovered a significant corruption network within Madhya Pradesh's RTO Department.

A senior television journalist confirmed to IANS that police responded rapidly and rescued both media professionals. Law enforcement has registered a case based on their testimonies.

Addressing the incident, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari criticized the BJP-led state government, claiming that the journalist was attacked for exposing governmental corruption.

Directing his criticism at Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Patwari stated on X, "General public and journalists are being targeted, while brokers and mafias are thriving in your government. This situation is both shameful and worrisome."

In response, Madhya Pradesh BJP media coordinator Ashish Agarwal announced that the state government has acknowledged the incident and promised severe consequences for those responsible.

"The government and the BJP have taken cognisance of the matter and assure a swift and transparent action," Agarwal wrote on the social media platform X.