The Press Club of India (PCI) has publicly voiced its deep concern regarding the reported harassment of senior journalist Pranab Sarkar, who serves as both a PCI member and the President of the Agartala Press Club. The alleged perpetrator is Ranjit Tripura, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) belonging to the Tipra Motha Party. The PCI’s apprehension follows a statement from the Tripura Journalists’ Union, which condemned the incident and indicated that the MLA—identified as a former surrendered militant leader—allegedly threatened Mr. Sarkar with a fabricated police complaint to suppress the publication of his purported “misdeeds.”
The central point of the dispute emerged on October 26, when MLA Ranjit Tripura filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Mr. Sarkar, who is the owner and news editor of the well-known regional channel Headlines Tripura National. This action came after the channel aired a report that raised questions about the MLA’s nationality. The FIR, which was filed by the MLA, claims that “Most surprisingly, on 24.10.2025 and onwards, the electronic media named ‘Headlines Tripura National’ started broadcasting a vibrant and shocking news item with a fake Bangladeshi Voter ID Card and a fabricated Birth Certificate in respect of me.”
Furthermore, the police complaint explicitly names Mr. Sarkar, stating, “Mr. Pranab Sarkar, the owner-cum-editor of ‘Headlines Tripura National’, the President of Tripura Press Club, Agartala, is a permanent citizen of Tripura and has well conversant knowledge regarding my place of birth, schooling, and college education as well.” The FIR accuses the journalist of broadcasting the news deliberately and intentionally to damage the MLA’s “personal image as well as my bright political career.” Consequently, the complainant requested that a specific criminal case be registered against Mr. Sarkar and his associates under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)-2023, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and the Indian Information Technology Act, 2000. In response to these developments, the PCI has issued a call to action, urging the media fraternity to support the victim journalist and appealing to the state government to provide the necessary protection for Mr. Sarkar.
