RSF is protesting the arrests of three senior journalists in the state of Assam. According to RSF's information, on 10 February 1999, Naresh Kalita, news editor of the vernacular daily "Agradoot", was arrested by the police on charges of aiding and abetting separatist militants. A police statement said that he was jailed after the confessions of a militant of the United Liberation Front of Assom (ULFA) and that a Sten gun magazine, pistol cartridges and incriminating documents were found in his house. Despite these accusations, his colleagues alleged "it is a conspiracy by the Assam government to gag the voice of the press." The "Agradoot" group management said that Kalita was only guilty of "writing a series of reports highlighting the wrong policies of the ruling government."
In another incident, the police arrested and held two other journalists for three days. Jitendra Kumar Jain and Anil Mazumdar, respectively managing editor and editor of the Nalbari-based weekly "Nisha", were kept in detention after they published a report containing controversial issues critical of the local governement.
