Journo Yogesh Dimri attacked, seriously injured, allegedly by liquor mafia | Garhwal Post

By Arun Pratap Singh

Dehradun, September 1: Young journalist from Rishikesh Yogesh Dimri was allegedly attacked and seriously injured by the liquor mafia for writing against large scale illicit liquor trade in Rishikesh. Some videos of the attack have also gone viral on social media, but the police have not arrested anyone in the case so far. The attack on Dimri has been condemned by several reputable journalists and journalist unions and associations. Dimri was initially admitted to a local hospital in Rishikesh, but has now been shifted to AIIMS Rishikesh by some journalists.

According to the journalists who had admitted him to AIIMS Rishikesh, Dimri was seriously injured in the attack by the alleged liquor mafia. His jawbone is fractured and needs to be operated on. He also sustained serious head injuries and a broken leg. Ironically, despite the news doing the rounds all day on news portals and social media, Dehradun and the local police have chosen not to comment or react to it. Sources close to Dimri and many locals in Rishikesh allege that the police and the local administration are hand in glove with the liquor mafia and also have the support of some higher echelons. It may be pertinent to point out here that the liquor trade is completely banned within the municipal limits of Rishikesh and Haridwar. Yet, the illegal trade is rampant in both the cities. Dimri had been constantly writing against the illegal trade and the liquor mafia in his weekly publication and digital news portal Aamla News and had thus faced the wrath of the liquor mafia in Rishikesh. It is unfortunate that no political leader has condemned the attack so far and at the same time the police have also not commented on the incident. Ironically, just a day earlier a delegation of journalists had met Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to complain about the arrogant approach of the police and the harassment they were giving to journalists covering the news. Dhami had assured the media persons that no journalist will be harassed by any police officer in the state. Yet, no one from the government has bothered to comment so far even when a large number of journalists condemned the attack.

It may also be pertinent to point out here that while Dimri has reported on the illegal trade in liquor in Rishikesh, where the sale of liquor is banned, the police have not taken any action against the liquor mafia. Sources in Rishikesh have claimed that one of the criminals behind the attack on Dimri has also been accused of illegal trade in liquor in the past and was one of the prime suspects in the Rishikesh Tincture case a few years earlier, in which around 18 people had died after consuming illegal liquor. This man is said to have been involved in illegal trade in liquor for decades and is said to have a lot of political influence in the area.

Journalists across the state have appealed to the Chief Minister and DG Information, Banshidhar Tiwari, to provide financial help for Dimri’s treatment.