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Mangaluru: Days after the Mumbai Press Club suspended three senior members for six years for inviting human rights defenders and academics linked to the Elgar Parishad case to the club, the National Investigating Agency (NIA) has entered the controversy. In an email sent out to the members of the club, it was stated that the central agency visited the premises on Wednesday (April 29) and conducted an “inquiry”.

The accusations against the three suspended senior journalists stem from an informal meeting held at the Mumbai Press Club on January 19, attended by several defendants in the Elgar Parishad case. Bernard D’Mello, a senior journalist and editor, had facilitated the visitors’ entry.

In a statement issued after the suspensions, the club’s Managing Committee said the expulsion of Gurbir Singh, D’Mello and Shrikant Modak was necessary because their conduct had “brought the institution into disrepute and exposed it to legal risk”.

The Mumbai Press Club, long regarded for its liberal credentials, has traditionally served as an open space for discussion and interaction. According to the suspended members, a person’s involvement in a legal case has never been a criterion for denying access to the premises and several guests, including political leaders with pending criminal cases, regularly visit the club.

The controversy has now taken a more dangerous turn with the state agency also getting involved in the matter. According to the club, the NIA conducted an “inquiry” with its office bearers and has sought certain documents pertaining to the said incident. “The Mumbai Press Club is fully cooperating........

© The Wire