New Delhi/Kolkata, 20 Feb

The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday termed as "worrisome" the arrest of an on-duty television journalist by the West Bengal Police.

In a statement here, the Guild said the journalist -- Santu Pan -- was reporting live on television when he was whisked away by policemen. Pan, a journalist with Republic Bangla, was arrested from Sandeshkhali in West Bengal on Monday late evening. "His arrest while on duty is worrisome," the Guild said.

The statement said the police should certainly investigate if allegations have been levelled against the journalist but to take him away while he was reporting is indeed a cause for concern. "The Editors Guild calls on the administration in West Bengal to conduct a speedy inquiry and ensure that no injustice is done to Pan. The government must also do everything it can to protect freedom of the press," the statement said.

The Kolkata Press Club also condemned his arrest and demanded his immediate release. "We demand his immediate release. If there is any specific allegation against him, it is subject to investigation. But the Kolkata Press Club registers its protest against the arrest of an on-duty journalist," it said in a statement.

The police said the journalist was arrested following a complaint of barging into the residence of a local woman. "We have arrested him based on a complaint filed by a woman in the Sandeshkhali area where she has alleged that this journalist had barged into her house when she was not properly dressed and started shooting it", a senior police officer said.