One person has been charged with assault after a Calgary radio host was attacked in the city’s northeast late last month.
Rishi Nagar — the news director at RED FM, a south Asian station in Calgary — left the Rio Banquet Hall around 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29, when he was approached by two men and attacked.
Police said officers were dispatched to the hall at 2850 Hopewell Pl. N.E., after an assault was reported.
The suspects struck up a conversation with Nagar and followed him toward his vehicle, police said. The conversation escalated to an argument in the parking lot and one of the men allegedly began to attack the radio host. Police said bystanders intervened and the men fled the area.
CCTV footage provided by RED FM shows the moment one of the two men started punching Nagar in the face and knocking him to the ground, leaving him with severe injuries to his left eye.
Nagar believes he was attacked because of a news story he shared on the radio about two men who were arrested and facing weapons charges — alleging the two who attacked him said his report was not accurate.
Nagar felt the assault wasn’t just an attack on him personally but an “attack on journalism” and “suppression of freedom of expression.”
Upon arrival at the Rio Banquet Hall, officers found Nagar, who police said sustained injuries consistent with a physical assault. Police said the victim was assessed by EMS at the scene and his injuries were determined to be minor.
Dilpreet Singh, 27, of Calgary, is now charged with one count of assault. He will next appear in court on Friday, Nov. 15.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact police by calling 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477 or online.
— With files from Craig Momney, Global News