A reporter from a newly-launched Marathi news channel had allegedly received a death threat from a political leader on Tuesday night, after the channel ran a story on how illegal digging by the leader had caused BSNL lines to snap at Kasa, Dahanu. A complaint has been registered with the Kasa police.
Last week, Santosh Patil, a reporter for Maharashtra One, said that he was facing trouble in filing stories as there were no Internet connections and he had to go to Dahanu, 10 kilometres from Kasa, to use the Internet. Later, he learnt of a cable fault near his area and registered a complaint with BSNL at Talasari. Meanwhile, he got to know that due to illegal excavation by Rafique Gachi of the Bahujan Vikas Agadhi at three places, BSNL’s Internet cables and landlines snapped. He decided to do a story on this.
On Tuesday evening, Gachi and his men allegedly came to his office and made enquiries about his whereabouts. “A few hours later, Gachi called me and said he will see to it that I am killed,” said Patil, adding that Gachi was angry at his filming the story.
B. Yashod, ASP, Palghar, said the Kasa police are investigating the complaint against Gachi, who has a criminal record in the 2014 Assembly polls in Dahanu.
A delegation of journalists from Vasai and Palghar on Wednesday registered their protest before the Additional Superintendent of Police, Palghar.
