DNA photographer Pravin Indrekar was among the people who were brutally assaulted by police personnel during the violence at Chharanagar last night. This even after he identified himself as a media-person trying to do his job. Indrekar, whose camera was also damaged in the attack, will be out of action for a few weeks. He recounts the horrible night:
I had gone to sleep when I received a call just before 1 am from my daughter. This was unusually late, and I was not prepared for what she was about to tell me. In a quivering voice, she told me about police personnel slamming on the doors of her house and damaging vehicles parked outside. She said that dozens of policemen were running amok in our locality.
I rushed out of home in a state of panic, albeit with my camera to capture photographs of the violence. I had clicked just a few pictures when some policemen spotted me and started questioning me about who I was and why I was clicking the photos.
I explained to them that I work with a newspaper and am clicking the pictures as a part of my duty as a press photographer. But they were in no mood to listen. Three or four of them surrounded me and started assaulting me with sticks, even as I kept pleading them to stop. They also kicked me a number of times.
My nephew tried to save me from the attack, but he too was beaten up mercilessly. I suffered two fractures in my left arm, and severe bruises on my back because of the beating. I tried to save my camera and phone, but they were damaged in the attack.
I somehow managed to escape from there. I kept on calling the 108 helpline for medical aid, but help arrived only after a long time, and that too when I identified myself as a media-person. The ambulance took me to the hospital, where I was being treated.
