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Three people, including two journalists working with Republic TV, were taken into custody in Kochi on Sunday, March 7, for attempting to record visuals of an Iranian naval vessel anchored inside Cochin Port.
Those taken into custody were reporter C G Shankar, cameraman S Mani, and boat driver P Vijayakumar. Officials said the group had travelled in a small hired boat from the Marine Drive region to the harbour area and attempted to record visuals of the foreign military vessel from close range.
Personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which guards the port, noticed the activity and intercepted them. After questioning, the three were handed over to Harbour Police, who registered a case citing violation of security restrictions in the port zone.
According to investigators, the attempt to shoot footage occurred near a protected stretch close to naval facilities where photography and videography are banned without official clearance. Authorities said strict monitoring is maintained around such locations due to defence-related sensitivities.
Police said the accused will be produced before a local court after formal procedures are completed. Officials also reminded media organisations that recording or publishing visuals of defence vessels and strategic installations requires prior approval from security agencies.
The case has been filed under Sections 3(1)(a) and 5 of the Officials Secrets Act, and for criminal trespass under the BNS Act.
The Iranian vessel IRIS Lavan reached Kochi earlier this week after Tehran sought India’s permission for emergency berthing citing operational issues. Reports indicated that the ship, carrying 183 crew members, arrived on March 1 and its personnel are currently staying at naval facilities in the city.
The presence of Iranian naval ships in the region has drawn attention after another vessel, IRIS Dena, was sunk off the southern coast of Galle earlier in the week.
The frigate, which had taken part in the MILAN naval exercise, was reportedly struck by a US submarine about 40 nautical miles from the Sri Lankan coast while returning to Iran.
Sri Lankan authorities later said the bodies of 87 sailors were recovered after the vessel went down.
As per reports, IRIS Lavan had been operating in the same region in connection with the naval exercise and the International Fleet Review before seeking permission to dock in Kochi. The request was reportedly made on February 28, around the time tensions escalated in West Asia after strikes by the US and Israel in Iran that killed Ali Khamenei.