Clash Between Two Senior Journalists at Udaipur Escalates into Court Premises Brawl, Counter FIRs Filed
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, February 11, 2026
A serious confrontation between two senior journalists at the Udaipur Court complex on Tuesday afternoon has snowballed into a major controversy, triggering counter allegations, police complaints, and sharp reactions from press bodies in Tripura.
What began as a verbal altercation between journalists eventually turned into a physical scuffle, severely denting the professional image of the media fraternity in the state.
The incident involved Anal Roy Chowdhury, editor of the Agartala-based newspaper Pratibadi Kalam, and Jasim Uddin, editor of the Udaipur Press Club. Both sides have accused each other of assault, intimidation, and misconduct.
Allegations from Agartala Press Club
In an official statement, the Agartala Press Club Secretary Ramakanta Dey strongly condemned the alleged attack on its member Anal Roy Chowdhury. According to the statement, Jasim Uddin threatened to kill Roy Chowdhury and his lawyer Arindam Bhattacharjee inside the court premises.
The Agartala press club further alleged that Jasim Uddin parked motorcycles in front of and behind Roy Chowdhury’s vehicle in an attempt to block his movement and prevent him from leaving the area.
Following the incident, Anal Roy Chowdhury lodged an FIR at West Agartala Police Station, detailing the entire episode. In his complaint, he stated that around 12:50 pm on Tuesday, Jasim Uddin demanded Rs.20 lakh from him and threatened dire consequences.
The complaint also alleged that despite the presence of Sub-Inspector Prabir Chanda and on-duty police personnel at the scene, no effective action was taken to control the situation, causing serious concern among those present.
Lawyers from the concerned court reportedly intervened and protested collectively, after which the alleged attackers fled the spot. Roy Chowdhury and his lawyer later returned to Agartala.
The Agartala Press Club has expressed deep concern over the police role and demanded strict action against SI Prabir Chanda and others accused of helping the miscreants escape. The Agartala Press Club has also demanded immediate arrest of Jasim Uddin and those involved.
Counter Allegations from Udaipur Press Club
In a strong counter-statement, the Udaipur Press Club rejected the allegations and accused Anal Roy Chowdhury of initiating the entire incident.
According to Udaipur Press Club president Debabrata Rudra, Jasim Uddin along with four to five local journalists had gone to the Udaipur District Court around 1 pm on February 10 for news coverage. They parked three motorcycles near Court No.2.
The statement claims that Anal Roy Chowdhury suddenly arrived in a black SUV and deliberately hit Jasim Uddin’s motorcycle (TR 03 F 9147), causing severe damage.
When questioned about the incident, Roy Chowdhury allegedly started abusing Uddin in filthy language. As local journalists attempted to record the scene on mobile phones, Roy Chowdhury allegedly snatched the phone from Uddin’s hand.
The situation allegedly escalated further when Roy Chowdhury and an associate physically assaulted Uddin, punching and pushing him to the ground, causing injuries to his chest, head, and left hand.
Udaipur Press Club claimed that police personnel and fellow journalists present at the spot intervened to save Uddin. They also alleged that Roy Chowdhury and his associates issued death threats before fleeing the scene.
Uddin was later admitted to the local sub-divisional hospital for treatment.
The Udaipur Press Club also made a serious allegation that Roy Chowdhury demanded Rs.40 lakh from Jasim Uddin at the spot and threatened to publish defamatory reports and photographs in Pratibadi Kalam if the money was not paid.
A formal complaint has been lodged at Radhakishorepur Police Station against Anal Roy Chowdhury and his associates.
The Udaipur Press Club has termed the incident shameful and disgraceful, stating that an attack by one journalist on another severely undermines the dignity of the profession. The club has demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible.
With both sides filing FIRs and making serious accusations, the controversy has placed the Tripura media community in an uncomfortable spotlight.
Police investigations are now underway, and further developments are awaited as both press clubs continue to stand firmly behind their respective members.
The episode has raised disturbing questions about professional ethics, conduct, and the deteriorating level of decorum among sections of the press personnel in the state.
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