Uttar Pradesh : Ballia remains closed in protest against the arrest of three journalists in the board exam paper leak case.

The United Journalist Sangharsh Morcha had called for a Ballia bandh on Saturday in support of the demand for release and protest against the arrest of three journalists arrested in connection with the leaking of class X English paper of the UP Board.

According to the news of Times of India, this call of bandh got positive results in Ballia district as most of the markets remained closed in the city. Locks were seen hanging in the major markets of the city since morning. The Ballia bandh agitation ended in a peaceful manner, apart from the arguments between the police and the protesters. The front was supported by businessmen, lawyers, teachers and students.

The officials of the Board of Trade were themselves appealing for cooperation in the captive. Shops at Shaheed Park Chowk, Hospital Road, Station Road etc. remained closed in the city. Shops with essential services opened after 2 o’clock in the day, but only a small number of people were seen on the streets of the city.

By 12 noon, traders, lawyers and members of other associations started coming on the streets and shopkeepers who had partially opened their shops, appealed to them to close them, to support the movement. When the police tried to stop them, a situation of debate or argument arose at some places.

Manjay Singh, president of Purvanchal Udyog Vyapar Mandal and joint secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vyapar Mandal Sangh, Rajinikanth, said that their organizations had unanimously decided that they would support the bandh of the United Journalist Sangharsh Morcha as the people of Ballia were surprised to see that the district Administration officials and police jailed the journalists who exposed the UP Board exam paper leak scandal. He said that most of the shopkeepers had kept their shops closed, the few who opened the shops also downed the shutters of their shops when we appealed to us to support the movement.

Let us inform that the English paper of UP Board’s 12th examination was leaked on 30 March. In this charge, the police have arrested three journalists of Ballia. Local journalists’ associations allege that journalists were implicated for reporting the paper leak, while police say they were arrested on the basis of their role in the paper leak.

The three journalists namely Ajit Ojha, Digvijay Singh and Manoj Kumar Gupta were denied bail by the court on Tuesday. Ojha and Singh work for ‘Amar Ujala’ newspaper, while Gupta is associated with ‘Rashtriya Sahara’. A case has been registered against him under sections related to copying and cheating of IPC and Information Technology Act (IT Act).

So far, more than half a hundred people have been arrested in the paper leak case that came to light on 30 March. According to the police, apart from three journalists, Ballia District School Inspector (DIOS) Brijesh Mishra and several government and private school teachers have also been arrested in the case.

Let us inform that in protest against the arrest of journalists, all the organizations of journalists had formed the United Journalists Sangharsh Morcha and on 30 March started an indefinite dharna at the district headquarters. Their demand is that the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police should be suspended and the cases against the journalists should be withdrawn, as well as a proper investigation should be done in the matter in which the investigation of the UP Board examination centers will open a big scam. From April 11, he sat on a hunger strike.