About a dozen unidentified persons ransacked the local office of Marathi daily `Lokmat' this evening and also assaulted some staffers, police said.
The persons barged into the office, located in Golani Complex in heart of the city, at around 4 pm.
They damaged the computers, glass doors, telephone instruments, other office equipment, and also abused and beat up some of the staffers, according to a complaint lodged by one of the employees, Rajendra Shankar Wani.
Police suspect the attack was linked to a news report in Thursday edition about a woman from Walmik Nagar allegedly forcing her daughter into flesh trade.
A group of residents from Walmik Nagar, angered by the report, may have attacked the newspaper office, police said.
Policemen have been deployed at the Lokmat office and a search has been launched to nab the attackers, they added.