A shocking incident occurred in Manipur’s Laii village on Saturday evening when Dip Saikia, a reporter with Nagaland-based satellite news channel Hornbill TV, was shot during the Zinnia Flower Festival, also known as the Cherry Blossom Festival. The attack happened around 4 pm when armed miscreants opened fire, leaving Saikia with bullet injuries in his right leg and under his armpit.

The shooting comes days after Saikia faced criticism from Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton for interviewing former BJP spokesperson M Kikon, who recently resigned from the party. Sources suggest this confrontation created political tensions prior to the attack.

Hornbill TV strongly condemned the incident, calling it an assault on press freedom. In a statement, Editor Dzuthono Mekru said, “The shooting of Mr. Saikia while he was covering a cultural event is not only an attack on his person but also a direct strike on press freedom and democratic values.”

The assailant was reportedly apprehended by villagers and handed over for questioning. Authorities have confirmed one arrest, and a detailed investigation into the motive and circumstances of the attack is underway.