Channel editor puts in his papers

Atanu Bhuyan, editor-in-chief of News Live channel, has announced his decision to quit following widespread criticism of the telecast of the molestation of a teenage girl on July 9.

Wolf in sheep's clothing? Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has accused TV reporter Gaurav Jyoti Neog of being involved in the incident. File pic

He will, however, remain associated with the channel as one of its board members.

"I have not decided to resign owning any moral responsibility after the channel and one of its reporters was dragged into the controversy over the molestation case on July 9," said Bhuyan.

Channel reporter Gaurav Jyoti Neog was accused of instigating the mob to strip the teen after she came out of a pub on the busy GS Road. Neog resigned on Sunday after a probe was ordered by the state government.

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday accused Neog of being involved in the incident. "After the chief minister's intervention, I feel that the inquiry against the reporter is not going to be impartial and there might be pressure on News Live from various sections to sack me. So, I have decided to quit," said Bhuyan.

"Prior to the July 9 incident, woman Congress legislator Rumi Nath was attacked in Assam's Barak Valley. Similarly, Team Anna member Akhil Gogoi was manhandled by a mob in Nalbari. In both the incidents, the CM neither named anyone nor ordered any inquiry. However, in the GS Road incident, he accused our reporter and promptly ordered an inquiry," he said.

The channel head, however, admitted that his decisions to repeatedly telecast the visuals of molestation on the channel and revealing the identity of the victim were wrong.u00a0