Bhubaneswar:  Staff of a shopping mall in Capital city allegedly beat up a woman journalist and cameraman of a private web channel who were covering a news report on illegal parking fee collection this evening.

While the woman journalist, Swati Jena of Argus web channel was doing a report near Esplanade One Mall’s parking lot, some of the security staff of the mall reached there and beat up Swati. They even threatened to damage the web channel’s camera. As per reports, a senior officer of the mall also reached the spot and threatened the woman journalist.

A complaint was lodged at Saheed Nagar police station in connection with alleged attack on the media persons.

A police official said, "We are securing all the visuals and will act strictly in accordance with law."

Worth mentioning, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) had declared collection of parking fees at malls, multiplexes, hospitals and business establishments located under its jurisdiction in October.