The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) staged protest marches on Tuesday, November 24, condemning the Kerala police for demanding that a journalist submit his mobile phone as part of an investigation. The notice was reportedly issued to Aniru Asokan, a reporter with Madhyamam daily, requesting the phone in connection with a July 28 report on an alleged data leak at the state Public Service Commission (PSC).
The report, titled “Details of Job Applicants on Dark Web: DGP Report”, included an image of a PSC agenda document marked as “highly secret” by authorities. Acting on a complaint filed by PSC Secretary Saju George, the Crime Branch launched an investigation and issued notices to both the editor of Madhyamam and Aniru Asokan.
Commenting on the issue, MediaOne Editor Pramod Raman said, “Today, a journalist's mobile phone has become part of their work. During the Newsclick raids, where two people were arrested by the Delhi Police, the mobile phones of 45 individuals were seized. As a result, all of them are being treated as if they were under arrest.”
He added, “While the Communist Party, which governs Kerala, has condemned the fascist actions of the central government, the Kerala police have demanded the submission of a journalist's mobile phone.”
The issue stems from a report by Madhyamam newspaper’s Thiruvananthapuram correspondent, Aniru Ashokan, who reported the alleged data at the PSC (Public Service Commission). “It’s a highly significant story. The demand for the reporter to disclose their source and submit their mobile phone is a clear sign of the Pinarayi Vijayan government's deep anxiety.”
This is not the first instance of police targeting journalists in Kerala. In November 2023, Vadakara police registered a suo-moto case against freelance journalist Rejaz M Sheeba Sydeek for a report alleging anti-Muslim bias in the state’s handling of the Kalamassery blasts investigation. The blasts, which occurred in October, killed five people. The journalist was accused of intending to incite riots under IPC Section 153, and the portal’s editor, Aslah Kayyalakkath, was summoned for questioning on November 16.
Similarly, in December 2023, 24 News journalist Vineetha VG was charged with criminal conspiracy under IPC Section 120B for her alleged involvement in covering a Kerala Students Union (KSU) protest. The protest, during the state government’s outreach program Nava Kerala Sadas, turned violent when a shoe was hurled at a bus carrying the Chief Minister and other cabinet members. Police allege that Vineetha had prior knowledge of the protest through her communication with KSU workers.
