IBN offices in Mumbai and Pune attacked

The Mumbai and Pune offices of the news channel were attacked by Shiv Sainiks on Friday afternoon

The offices of IBN Lokmat and IBN 7, the Marathi and Hindi news channels of the IBN Network were witness to an untoward incident on late Friday afternoon. A bunch of around 20 men, activists of Shiv Sena, stormed in to their offices in Mumbai (in Vikhroli) and Pune and assaulted several employees.

These included the editor-in-chief of the Marathi news channel Nikhil Wagle and other journalists, damaging the office furniture and electronic equipments. The CCTV footage acquired from their offices shows an irate mob forcing its way into the office and attacking employees. A few of the attackers are now in police custody.

Apparently, the reason cited is the usage of 'disrespectful language' by the news channels against its leader Bal Thackeray. This is not the first time that Wagle has become an object of the Shiv Sena's ire. His journalistic career has often put him on the war-path with the party's ideologies and actions.

The matter reached the chief minister of state Ashok Chavan, who has promised stringent action against the attackers. He also said that the government would examine the legal aspects of making attacks on mediapersons a non-bailable offence.

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