Woman journalist attacked by Gujarat riots convict during interview

Ahmedabad, Jan 21: A convict in a Gujarat riots case, out on parole, allegedly assaulted a journalist in Ahmedabad on Wednesday evening when she met him for an interview.

Revati Laul, who is writing a book on the convicts in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case, alleged that she was punched and slapped by Suresh Chhara when she asked him some questions during an interview at his house in Naroda area of Ahmedabad.

She claims that she managed to escape after Suresh Chhara's son and some neighbours intervened.

"I visited him at his house and I politely asked him if he wanted to share information about himself, his past, family and he, without provocation, started slapping me. He kept on punching me and banged my head to the wall. I somehow managed to flee from the spot," Ms Laul said.

Ms Laul was treated at a government hospital and she later lodged a complaint with the Vejalpur police station.

A former NDTV journalist, Revati Laul has been living in Ahmedabad for over a year, working on her book.

Suresh Chhara was convicted to 31 years in prison in 2013 for his involvement in the Naroda Patiya massacre - one of the bloodiest episodes in the 2002 Gujarat riots - in which around 100 people were killed.

He was released on parole by a local court last week, reportedly to trace his teenage daughter who has been missing since the last few months.

Chhara's former wife had alleged last month that he tried to rape her when he was released on parole few months ago, following which his parole was cancelled.