The city was caught in the crossfire for hours when a police team led by sub inspector P.M. Vimod detained a visual media journalist and his cameraman who entered the District Court Complex on Saturday for reporting the court proceedings.
Binuraj, a journalist with Asianet News, and Abhilash, his cameraman, were taken into custody around 10 a.m. when they challenged the police officer’s order to leave the court premises along with other journalists. The police officer claimed that he acted on the basis of an order issued by the District Judge imposing restrictions on movement of journalists inside the court complex on grounds of security reasons. However, court officials clarified that there was no such order.
Tension prevailed in the area as journalists thronged the Town police station where the detained journalists were locked up and shouted slogans against the police. They staged protests in front of the City Police Commissioner’s office seeking disciplinary action against the sub inspector.
The journalists who were taken into custody alleged that the sub inspector and his team showered abuses on them and resorted to physical assaults when they asked the police officer to show documentary evidence of the judge’s order. The police officer seemed to be misinterpreting the judge’s order to step up security on the court premises, the journalists alleged.
The police team also took into custody an outdoor broadcasting van of the Asianet News and moved it to the Town police station. As a scuffle ensued, senior police officers rushed to the spot and held discussions with the detained journalists and representatives of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ).
Tension mellowed when Kasaba Circle Inspector P. Pramod tendered an apology to the scribes during the discussions and promised prompt action on the part of the department. He admitted that there was a slip on the part of the sub inspector.
Later, senior police officers, including Special Branch Assistant Commissioner M.P. Premdas and Assistant Commissioner (administration) P.K. Raju, held discussions with the journalists and reiterated the stance of the department to consider disciplinary action after a thorough inquiry.
They clarified that security was tightened on the court premises in view of producing the suspected Maoist leader Roopesh back as part of the continuing investigation against him.
