Scribes manhandled

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, APRIL 30. A senior Army officer allegedly manhandled and detained for about four hours, reporters of a television channel and a news agency, who had gone to the Mamoon Cantonment to cover the fire which destroyed an ammunition dump. The officer reportedly objected to the reporters recording the event.

The reporters had gone to the spot along with the fire tenders last night and began to record and take pictures of the site.

The officer, Brig. Ashok Sirohi, forced the scribes to hand over the tapes and films.

The reporters claimed that before being detained by the Military Police, the officer and his subordinates used foul language, pushed and manhandled them.

The Military Police detained them for four hours and handed them over to the civil authorities in Pathankot, who released them on the ground that no offence could be made out.

One of the reporters, Mr. Deepak Sharma, said that at the same spot, they had interviewed another Army officer who had given them details of the incident.

At no point did any other officer restrict their movement. And, they were not informed that the area had been sealed off.

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