The Kerala government intends to withdraw cases filed against two media persons, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the Assembly on Monday. The cases were filed based on a complaint filed by former DGP TP Senkumar.
The subject was raised in the Kerala Assembly by Congress MLA M Vincent while seeking permission for an adjournment motion.
"Have asked the DGP to urgently provide details on the case. Our land can’t be lowered to the level of booking people for asking questions," Pinarayi said. The CM also said that Senkumar may have used his influence as former DGP to book the journalists.
The journalists are Kadavil Rasheed of Kalapremi and PG Sureshkumar of Asianet.
Senkumar had held a press meet on January 16 at the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club, where Kadavil Rasheed asked a couple of questions which irked the former DGP.
Senkumar's press meet was aimed at levelling corruption allegations against Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan. Rasheed, as the press meet was progressing, asked why Senkumar had not probed the charges against the SNDP chief when he was the state police chief. He also asked his thoughts on Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala's comment that he had made a mistake appointing Senkumar as DGP when he was state Home Minister.
Senkumar, however, got agitated by the questions and demanded the journalist show his identity card. He then went on to accuse the journalist- who is under treatment for cancer- for being drunk and slurring.
Meanwhile, Asianet’s Senior Coordinating Editor Suresh Kumar, who supported Rasheed in WhatsApp group had also said that boycotting Senkumar from places like Press Club won't make any impact and that legal action should be initiated against the former DGP for his behaviour.
The Cantonment police, however, based on Senkumar’s complaints to police commissioner Balram Kumar Upadhya, registered cases against Kadavil Rasheed and Suresh Kumar.
Both journalists were booked forbcriminal conspiracy while Rasheed was additionally booked for trying to manhaldnle Senkumar.
Kadavil Rasheed filed a complaint against Senkumar for threatening him.