“Journalist Bijay Pradhan’s brutal attack is yet another grave reminder of the growing dangers faced by local journalists across India, particularly those targeted in the eastern state of Odisha,” said CPJ India Representative Kunāl Majumder. “Authorities must ensure a swift and impartial investigation and bring those responsible to justice.”

Pradhan, a reporter with the privately-held Odia-language news outlet Bada Khabar, was tied up and brutally beaten by a group of men on May 23 while reporting on alleged irregularities in a local construction project in the Kulthipali village of Bolangir district. A video of the assault widely shared on social media, shows Pradhan being kicked and dragged by a group. The assault went on for two hours and resulted in the rupture of his right eardrum. He is undergoing treatment for his injuries in Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital, Pradhan told CPJ.

Pradham said his attackers also snatched his mobile phone, on which he had recorded the incident, his microphone, and other equipment to stop him from reporting.