Kochi, Mar 4 (PTI) A group of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists allegedly trespassed into the office of Malayalam news channel Asianet News here and intimidated the staff over a news report telecast about the sexual assault of a girl, police said here.
On Friday, around 30 student activists from the CPI(M)-ruled SFI were brought to court by the TV channel.
The police stated that the SFI activists entered the office at 8 pm on Friday and raised slogans against the news channel, after which they pushed aside security personnel and intimidated employees.
CPI(M), sources claimed that Saturday’s complaint was made against the news channel over alleged fake news created using a minor girl. The news channel was accused of creating fake news about sexual assault of more than 10 girls at a school located in northern Kerala.
Sources from the SFI Ernakulam District Committee tried to justify the action, claiming that the student organization organized the march towards the Kochi office to protest against fake news being run by the agency. The story was part of a program last year by the news channel on the state’s drug menace.
Police stated that the activists were arrested under different sections of the Indian Penal Code. These included 143 (unlawful assemblies), 147(rioting), and149 (forming illegal assemblies for the prosecution of common objects of murder).
The Press Club of India criticised the SFI actions and demanded that the Kerala government investigate the incident.
“We express concern and lodge our protest over SFI activists reportedly entering the @AsianetNewsML office in Ernakulam and intimidating the staff. These tactics of strong-arming are not appropriate in a democracy. The Kerala government should probe this incident swiftly,” the Press Club of India said in a tweet on Friday. PTI TGB HDA HDA
This report was generated automatically from the PTI news service. ThePrint is not responsible for the content.