Honey trap: HC denies bail to channel CEO, senior reporter

The Kerala HC denied bail to the channel's CEO R Ajith Kumar and senior reporter K Jayachandran Bail was denied as they failed to produce the original audio clip of the telephonic conversation

The HC on Wednesday denied bail to the channel's CEO R Ajith Kumar and senior reporter K Jayachandran but accepted the pleas of three other journalists arrested in the case.

Bail was denied to the two as they failed to produce the original audio clip of the telephonic conversation between Saseendran and a woman, which was aired by the channel on March 26 - the day it was launched.  

The court observed that the two need to be kept in judicial custody as the laptop and pen drive, which contained the conversation between Saseendran and the woman, have to be recovered for the case to go ahead.

Ajith Kumar had filed a police complaint claiming the laptop and pen drive were stolen but the court observed that it was hard to believe.

The five journalists were arrested last week. The issue led to a political furore in the state and within hours, Saseendran announced his resignation. The Pinarayi Vijayan government then ordered judicial and police probes into the case.

(with agency inputs)