Days after a clash broke out between lawyers and media personnel outside Kerala High Court complex, some newsmen were today allegedly manhandled and locked up inside a police station at Kozhikode by a police officer, who was later suspended, pending an enquiry.
Many journalists today took out marches in the state capital, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Kannur and New Delhi against the continued attack on the media, and demanded action against the town police Sub Inspector P M Vimodh Kumar.
The media in the state are allegedly not being allowed to enter the Kerala High Court and lower courts after lawyers clashed with media personnel a few days ago, unhappy over their coverage of the alleged molestation bid by a government pleader.
When some media personnel went to the Kozhikode district court this morning to cover the Ice Cream Parlour case, the personnel, including a private Malayalam TV news channel reporter, were prevented by police.
Three of them were taken to the police station in a police jeep and the channel's vehicle was also seized.
Kozhikode Town Sub Inspector P M Vimodh Kumar had stated that he had received instructions from district magistrate to prevent the media entry.
However, the magistrate later informed the High Court registrar that he had not issued any such instructions.
The official entered into a fracas with media personnel later this evening and allegedly used foul language and when they protested, manhandled them inside the police station and locked them up, media personnel alleged.
DGP Loknath Behara suspended the official, pending an enquiry and said the SI's act cannot be justified.
A responsible police force should not be behaving in this manner, he said and admitted that the official had committed a "mistake" and so action would have to be taken.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is away in Delhi, said in a statement that the media has the freedom to enter courts to cover proceedings and police cannot prevent them from doing so.
Since it is a matter relating to courts, government has certain limitations, he said.
Courts need to introspect on whether in a democratic country, preventing the media from entering courts was right, Vijayan said.
The police action was being viewed "very seriously" he said, adding the DGP had been asked to enquire and report to him on the matter.
Strong action will be taken after getting the report, he assured.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court today clarified that
there was no ban on reporters from covering court proceedings.
The Opposition Congress described today's incidents as "unfortunate" and said the Chief Minister cannot remain a "mute spectator".
BJP also spoke out against the media being targeted.
The party's state President Kummanam Rajasekharan alleged that the continued attack on media personnel was with the "silent permission" of the Chief Minister.
"It is difficult to believe that the journalists were forcibly removed without the home department's knowledge and the Chief Minister should end his 'double stand' on the issue," he said.
CPI(M) state secretary Kodieryi Balakrishnan said a high level probe should be ordered and action taken against those responsible in an exemplary manner.
Veteran Marxists leader V S Achutanandan said there was no emergency against media and action has been taken against the SI responsible for today's incidents.
The case pertains to an alleged sex racket in the early 1990s, involving an ice cream parlour in Kozhikode, as its base. It was allegedly used as a cover to rune the racket.
The case had since then been vigorously taken up by Achuthanandan and was dismissed by the Apex Court which gave a clean chit to Kunhalikutty, an Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader, in 2006.
Though Kunhalikutty never became an accused in the case, he had come under a cloud in the wake of the scandal and even had to quit the ministry then.
On July 4 this year, the Apex Court dismissed a plea of Achuthanandan, seeking CBI probe into the scandal, saying it would not become party to "political battles where people have political vendetta and rivalries."
The SC had asked him to approach the trial court with his grievances about the probe and closure report filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
