Tag: Asianet

Kerala HC seeks police’s stand on Asianet plea claiming harassment by the force

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Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday sought the stand of the police on a plea by prominent Malayalam news channel Asianet, which has alleged harassment by the force in connection with some anti-drug use news it had telecasted.
Justice N Nagaresh, after a preliminary hearing of the matter, directed the State police chief and other officials to inform the court about their stand regarding the allegations made in the petition of the channel.
The court also asked the news channel to file a separate affidavit regarding the harassment allegedly faced by it the police after it filed the petition last Friday.

Asianet, in its plea, has alleged that the news organisation and its employees were being harassed for having launched a campaign against drug abuse in the state, particularly among children.
It has alleged that the police was “acting in accordance with their political masters” and its employees “are being harassed, ill-treated and humiliated” by the force despite the court’s earlier orders to provide protection to the channel’s offices.
In its plea, it has said that after noticing the alarming spike in drug use among children, it decided to conduct a study and research on the issue, following which it published an interview with a victim of drug abuse.
Thereafter, in November last year, it began a campaign, ‘Narcotics is a dirty business’, coinciding with the state government’s efforts to fight drug abuse in Kerala, the petition has claimed.
As part of its news series on the issue, “one of the earlier news stories regarding drug abuse by children was revisited using file shots,” it has said.

“Pursuant to the telecast of the series against the abuse of narcotic drugs, on March 3 a group of nearly 30 SFI activists violently and forcefully trespassed into the office and studio floor of the news channel’s Kochi regional office, shouting slogans, and intimidated the staff..,” it has further claimed.
A case was registered by police against identifiable SFI activists and some were arrested and released on bail, it has said.
Subsequently, Asianet had moved the High Court seeking protection against any violent attack, the petition has said.
The court had on March 8 directed the police to provide adequate protection to offices of Asianet.
Regarding the SFI’s trespassing into Asianet’s Kochi office, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said in the State Assembly that the pro-left student wing had organised a protest march to the channel’s office against the making of an allegedly fake video using a minor girl.
The video content amounted to spreading the misapprehension that government schools in the state were in the grip of drugs, the CM had said.
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#Kerala #seeks #polices #stand #Asianet #plea #claiming #harassment #force
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 4, 2023
Kerala HC orders police to protect Asianet offices

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Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the police to provide adequate protection to offices of prominent Malayalam news channel Asianet.
The direction to the State Police by Justice N Nagaresh came on the channel’s plea claiming it apprehends “further violence and threats” from pro-Left student organisation SFI and CPI(M) youth wing DYFI and seeking protection against the same.
In its petition, the channel alleged that on March 3 around 30 SFI activists forcefully trespassed into its Kochi office and intimidated the staff there with dire consequences.
It has also alleged that work there was interrupted and was stopped for nearly an hour by the miscreants who also “wrongfully confined” the staff for nearly an hour.
“The 8th respondent (DYFI) through public platforms and social media has declared they will launch all Kerala protest against the petitioner news channel.
“Barging into a media office is illegal and is a blatant attack on the freedom of press. The fundamental right to seek and disseminate information through an independent press is under attack,” the channel has said in its petition.
Disposing of the plea, the High Court directed that protection be provided to the Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur offices of channel.
It also ordered that in case of a possibility of conflict or violence, sufficient numbers of police have to be deployed.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, recently in the state assembly, had said that SFI activists had organised a protest march to the channel’s office against the making of an allegedly fake video, using a minor girl.
The video content amounted to spreading the misapprehension that government schools in the state were in the grip of drugs, the CM had said.
He had also said that on the channel’s complaint a case was registered and eight persons arrested in connection with the trespass into its Kochi office.
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#Kerala #orders #police #protect #Asianet #offices
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 8, 2023
Kerala: Journalists’ bodies condemn SFI activists’ barging into Asianet office

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New Delhi: A day after a group of SFI activists allegedly barged into the Kochi office of Asianet News and intimidated channel staff over a news report, journalists’ bodies condemned the incident and called it yet another example of growing attacks against media and scribes.
Barging into media offices is “illegal” and should be considered as “an attack on press freedom”, the Press Club of India, Indian Women’s Press Corps, Delhi Union of Journalists and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists said in a joint statement.
“We expect the Kerala government to take strict action against those who attacked Asianet,” they said.
A group of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists allegedly trespassed into the office of Malayalam news channel Asianet News in Kochi on Friday and intimidated the staff over a report about the sexual assault of a girl, according to Kerala Police.
A case was later registered against 30 SFI activists, the students’ wing of the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, on the basis of a complaint lodged by the channel.
Condemning the incident, the journalists’ bodies said, “We protest the attack on the TV channel Asianet News’ office in Kochi by the activists of the Students Federation of India.”
“This is yet another example of the growing attacks against media organisations and journalists in the country.”
The journalists’ bodies said Asianet News had used “a mock video” to bring out the issue of drug and sexual abuse of a young girl in Kerala.

“Stamping such a programme as fake news suggests ignorance of the professional ways used by news organisations to protect the identity of victims of sexual assault,” they said, adding, “There are methods and platforms to raise complaints against any news item in a legal manner.”
The journalists’ bodies noted that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made it clear in the Assembly that the police were looking into a complaint against the news report in question.
“Barging into media offices is illegal and should be considered as an attack on press freedom. We expect the Kerala government to take strict action against those who attacked Asianet,” they said.
“We condemn the attempts by certain political outfits, organisations and social media influencers in Kerala to instill media phobia by labelling all news and views as fake if they disagree with it,” they said, adding, “Demonising or undermining the media often protects vested interests.”
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#Kerala #Journalists #bodies #condemn #SFI #activists #barging #Asianet #office
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 5, 2023