An FIR has been registered against nine journalists belonging to Mangalam Television including the channel’s CEO Ajith Kumar over the broadcast of a sexually explicit audio conversation that allegedly featured then Transport Minister AK Saseendran.
This comes less than a day after Ajith Kumar admitted that the newly launched channel had set up Saseendran by carrying out a ‘sting operation’. While Mangalam Television had earlier claimed that the minister had asked for sexual favours from a woman, who had approached him with a complaint, the CEO on Thursday night revealed that the woman involved was a reporter with the channel.
Appearing on the channel on, Ajith also apologised for any inconvenience caused to other women journalists. "A reporter had taken up the responsibility voluntarily. The entire operation involved 8 senior journalists. We admit that it was wrong on our part to not have released the entire audio," Ajith Kumar said.
Reports suggest that an FIR has been registered under the IT act, for misuse of electronic media and criminal conspiracy.
Mangalam TV’s admission came soon after the Kerala government decided to hand over the inquiry to a team of six police officials.
On Thursday, Kerala DGP Loknath Behera had formed an investigation team led by Biju Mon, DySP of HiTech cell. IG Dinendra Kashyap will supervise the probe, which will also include Kottayam SP N Ramachandran, Palakkad SP Pratheesh, Crime branch DySp Shanavas and SI Sudhakumari.
Police have, however, not revealed the names of the other journalists included in the FIR.
Saseendran had resigned on March 26 within hours after the channel aired the audio clip. Mangalam TV, which launched with the airing of the sexually explicit conversation, had received widespread criticism on the ethics of airing such an audio clip in which the voice of the complainant was edited out.