Rishi Nagar said his assailant was angered by reporting done by he and his colleagues on extortion in the South Asian community
A Calgary man has been charged with assaulting a well-known local journalist, an attack its victim said was motivated by his crime reporting.
RED FM news director and talk show host Rishi Nagar said he was leaving a political function at the Rio Banquet Hall at 2850 Hopewell Pl. N.E. at 3 p.m. on Sept. 29 when he was approached by two men.
Surveillance video shows the trio talking. As they entered a parking area outside the hall, one of them began punching Nagar repeatedly in the head.
The journalist said he suffered possibly serious eye injuries but said more troubling was the reason he was beaten.
“What wounds me more deeply is the intent of this assault, on journalism and the free press and the very principle that bonds us as a free and democratic society,” he said.
“I want to be abundantly clear it will not silence me.”
He and police say the attack was halted when several people intervened.
Nagar said his assailant was angered by reporting done by he and his colleagues on extortion in the South Asian community and that he knew one of them.
His station had been reporting on an incident two weeks ago that led to two arrests after police were called to 135 Gurdwara Sahib Blvd. N.E. in response to reports of a man brandishing a gun.
Two men carrying firearms were detained without incident, with Gursewak Singh and Sukhpreet Singh each facing several firearms charges and a count of threats to cause death or bodily harm.
For the assault on Nagar, city police say they’ve charged Dilpreet Singh, 27, with one count of assault.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 15.