Imphal/Guwahati: A television journalist was shot and injured in Manipur’s Senapati district on Saturday evening while reporting on a local flower festival, police said.
The victim, identified as Deep Saikia of Nagaland-based Hornbill TV, sustained bullet wounds on his armpits and legs.
The incident occurred in Laii village during the Zinnia Flower Festival, an event in the Naga-dominated district that Saikia had been assigned to cover.
Saikia, originally from Assam’s Jorhat, was immediately rushed to Senapati district hospital for treatment and later shifted to Nagaland for advanced medical care, officials said.
According to police, the assailant was apprehended by local residents soon after the shooting. An air gun, allegedly used in the attack, was also recovered.
The accused has been handed over to the police, and an investigation is underway to determine the motive behind the attack.
The shooting comes days after Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton had publicly rebuked Saikia during an event in Wokha district over his reporting.
It remains unclear if there is any connection between the two incidents.
Hornbill TV editor Dzuthono Mekro strongly condemned the attack, terming it “an assault on press freedom and democratic principles.”
He urged both the Nagaland and Manipur governments to ensure a fair and impartial probe into the case.
