India: CFWIJ is Appalled at The Harassment Incident Faced by Trishna Das
Location: India
Date: September 15, 2021
Trishna Das, a freelance journalist was reportedly harassed by a group of people who appeared to be transgenders. The incident took place in a bus when she was travelling to Goalpara, in Assam on September 13. Trishna shared the disturbing details in a Facebook post. She was verbally abused and threatened with death. When she tried to record the scene, one person spat on her face which was extremely offensive and concerning given the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The CFWIJ demands police take action against the perpetrators and ensure Trisha remains safe.
In a detailed Facebook post, Trishna narrated the ordeal she faced. She said she was approached by some people appearing to be transgender for money in a bus. When she refused to give any money, they started misbehaving and touching her inappropriately. Trishna asked that intimidating person to stay away and not violate covid protocols. She wrote that the person was not wearing any mask so she asked for a safe distance. To which she was verbally abused and insulted. Trishna tried to record the scene but she was spat on by the furious member of the group.
Trishna went straight to the Dhupdhara police station to report the crime. After some hassle, police managed to apprehend the accused group of people. She said she was offered an apology which she refused to accept and pushed to file an FIR (First Information Report). Upon realizing this, the accused individuals got more aggressive and threatened Trishna with dire consequences.
“Now I feel really helpless as everyone is saying it is worthless to file an FIR as no action will be taken against the person especially if the person is a transgender”, Trishna shared in her post.
While speaking to CFWIJ, Trishna stated that “Police have nabbed the main culprit who is in jail, the other two are still missing. It is unfortunate that many people go through such harassment in public transport vehicles on a daily basis_ but people are scared to speak up.”
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the harassment Trishna had to face. We hope that the police will conduct a thorough investigation to serve justice.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.
