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Calgary police investigating weekend assault of prominent radio host

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 01 Oct, 2024 03:22 PM

Calgary police say they're investigating the assault of a prominent local radio host over the weekend.

Police say they received a report of an assault near a banquet hall on Sunday afternoon in the city's Horizon neighbourhood.

When officers arrived, they located a man with injuries consistent with an assault.

No arrests have been made.

Rishi Nagar, a longtime radio host and news director for RED FM Calgary, identified himself as the victim of the assault.

Nagar says he was assaulted by two men who were upset with recent reporting his outlet did related to an incident at the Dashmesh Culture Centre in Calgary last week.

VIDEO: ‘I will not be silenced’: RedFM host responds after alleged weekend assault | LiveWire Calgary https://t.co/8djJbGNOjk
— Rishi Kumar Nagar🍁 (@RishiKNagar) October 1, 2024

Shocked to hear of the attack on community leader and journalist @RishiKNagar. This kind of violence is never acceptable and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms.

Wishing Rishi a speedy recovery and a quick return to the air where he can continue his important…
— Naheed Nenshi (@nenshi) October 1, 2024

Watching @RishiKNagar press conference. He has a big bandage over his left eye. He was greatly hurt by the attack, but was heartened by the public's support. And maintains that he will not be silenced. He will continue to report on extortion and criminal activities.
— Duane Bratt (@DuaneBratt) October 1, 2024

In that incident, according to police, two men were arrested in the parking lot of the centre on Sept. 24 after police received a report of a man with a gun.

On Sept 29th at 3 pm, our Host and News Director @RishiKNagar was attacked by 2 people.

The complaint has been filed with the @CalgaryPolice

Here is his statement after the attack. pic.twitter.com/Vv3fPBSHzm
— RED FM™ CALGARY (@REDFMCALGARY) September 30, 2024

Both men are facing four gun-related charges as well as a charge for issuing death threats.

Speaking to media in Calgary on Tuesday, with bandages over one eye, Nagar called his assault a "clear attack on journalism and the free press."

"It was a brazen attempt to intimidate, to silence and to prevent a free press from doing its job," he said.

"These cowardly actions will not deter me or my colleagues from continuing our work.

"They can break my eye, not the resolve."

Photo courtesy of RishiNagar.ca

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