Ensure media is not crushed in West Bengal: Anurag Thakur on journalist Santu Pan's arrest

New Delhi: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday took serious exception to the arrest of a TV journalist in West Bengal and appealed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to ensure the media is not crushed in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Thakur called the journalist's arrest unfortunate.

"It is my request to Mamata Banerjee that such thing should not happen again," Thakur told reporters.

"Freedom of press is the right of media and it should not be crushed. This is my appeal to Mamata Banerjee," he added.

Santu Pan, a journalist with Republic Bangla, was arrested from Sandeshkhali late on Monday evening.

Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24-Parganas district has been tense with a large number of women in the locality accusing Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexually assaulting" them under coercion.

Sheikh has been absconding since January 5 when a mob attacked Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers during a raid at his residence in connection with an alleged ration scam.

Two of Sheikh's aides, who along with others were booked under charges of gang rape and attempt to murder, have been arrested.