No separate data on murder of journalists: Govt

New Delhi, Aug 4:

The home ministry on Tuesday said data on the murder of journalists was not maintained separately, and 113 cases were registered and 30 people arrested for attacking media persons in 2014.

“The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has started collecting data on attacks on media persons (grievously injured) since 2014. Data on murder of journalists is not maintained separately,” Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

He said the ministry has not received the report on safety of journalists from the Press Council of India and also has no proposal to set up a special task force to investigate attacks on journalists.

“The provision of security to an individual is primarily the responsibility of the state government in whose jurisdiction such individual ordinarily resides,” he said.

“Security is provided strictly on the basis of threat assessment made by the security agencies. There is no separate categorisation of protectees for journalists, although individual journalists are also among those who apply for security cover.”

He said representations from all individuals, including journalists and media persons are referred to security agencies for assessment of their threat. (IANS)