Kerala HC directs police to provide security to Asianet News offices
The high court directed the state police chief to provide security to the Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur offices as sought by the Asianet News.
FollowThe Kerala High Court on Wednesday gave directions to provide necessary police protection to the offices of Asianet News. Justice N Nagaresh directed the state police chief to provide security to the Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur offices as sought by the Asianet News. The directive came based on a petition filed by Asianet News in the context of the SFI attack at the channel's Kochi office.
The channel's plea stated that there could be "further violence and threats" from the Communist Party of India-Marxist's youth wing DYFI and the pro-Left student organisation Students Federation of India
Seeking protection, the channel alleged in the petition that around 30 SFI activists forcefully trespassed into its Kochi office on March 3 at around 7:30 pm and intimidated the staff there with dire consequences. It has also alleged that work at the channel office 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 an all-Kerala protest against the petitioner news channel. Barging into a media office is illegal and is a blatant attack on the freedom of the 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 the 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 making 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 were arrested in connection with the trespass into its Kochi office.
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