Government of India, New Delhi

Subject - Misuse of the credibility of Media by the Govt of West Bengal

Respectable Prime Minister
The West Bengal CID and Police have arrested a leader of lalgarh movement Chhatradhar Mahto posing themselves as media person. This is very objectionable as it is a misuse of the credibility and good name of the media. This is also an encroachment in the autonomy of Media.
In a democratic country like India, each and every institution has its own duties as well as each of them have been provided certain space, authority and liberty to execute their responsibility. No institution has any right to encroach the autonomy of other institution.
The media persons are visiting in various remote areas including "Disturbed" fields and they also have to meet with various people including any accused person to collect news and to expose various socio-political-economic conflicts of the society. The media has a credit to keep its sources secret and to not harm somebody during their news gathering process.
Therefore, the act of West Bengal Government through its CID and Police is totally unethical and unpermitable. It has created a big threat to the media persons especially for them who are visiting to various remote areas of so-called insurgency. Now, every body will suspect on the identity of even the real media persons and they will not co-operate them as well as some of the media persons may be attacked in suspicion of being a policeman or CID person.
We request you to take appropriate action against misuse of the credibility of the media as well as encroachment in the autonomy of media. We also urge to initiate a process to prepare a Law to prevent such misuse and to protect the autonomy of the media.