Journalists under the auspices of Dakshina Kannada Union of Working Journalists (DKUWJ) staged a protest and marched to the office of Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police in the city on Saturday stating that Uppinangady police had filed a ‘false case’ against three mediapersons on Friday.
The Uppinangady police on June 3 had filed a case against journalists Ajith Kumar K., Praveen Kumar and Siddique Neeraje under Sections 447 (criminal trespass), 354 (assault or criminal force against a woman to outrage her modesty), 504 (insult intended to provoke breach of peace), 506 read with 34 (criminal intimidation and an act done by several persons with common intention) based on a complaint.
The complainant, a second year B. Com student of the Government First Grade College, Uppinangady, alleged that the accused had tried to pull the shawl of the complainant at about 11.30 a.m. on June 2 and one of them had shot the video of the complainant. When the complainant orally complained to the principal about it, the latter made them delete the video recordings. Later, the complainant learnt that the trio were journalists.
Earlier on June 2, Mr. Ajith Kumar had complained to Uppinangady police that about 25 students confined him in a room, threatened his life and forcibly made him to delete the video recordings of the principal’s statement when he had gone to the college to report about the protest by students on the hijab issue and the suspension of six students at the college on the same issue.
Addressing the protest at the Clock Tower in the city, president of the DKUWJ Srinivas Nayak Indaje and its general secretary Jitendra Kundeshwara said that a false complaint was filed against the journalists who had gone to the college as part of their duty. The police by registering it are trying to lower the morale of journalists.
In a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister and the Home Minister, they said that police filed the case even after the June 2 incident at the college had been brought to the notices of the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada and the Superintendent of Police by submitting memoranda. They urged that a B report be filed in this case against the journalists before June 8 and action should be taken against the Uppinangady Sub Inspector.
Later, the journalists submitted a memorandum to the Superintendent of Police Rishikesh Sonawane, by marching to his office at Pandeshwar. He told the journalists that an investigation will be conducted.
Meanwhile, Sanjeeva Matandoor, MLA and chairman of College Development Committee of the Government First Grade College at Uppinangady, said that a section of students continued to remain away from classes on Saturday demanding that wearing of hijab should be allowed in classrooms. Some others attended the classes.
The MLA said that the college has been instructed to discuss the matter with the parents of the students. All students of the college will have to abide by the dress code. If not, disciplinary action will be initiated against students who flouted the same, he reiterated.
Published - June 05, 2022 12:28 am IST
