Kerala HC junks charge sheet against Asianet News, Cong seeks CM Vijayan’s apology

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday quashed a charge sheet against Asianet News and six journalists in a petition seeking a case to be registered under the POCSO Act for airing a programme against the growth of the drug mafia, which showed an incident involving a girl.

No sooner did this verdict come out, the Congress leadership asked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to apologise for the way a media organisation was treated by the police, acting on his advice.

In 2023, Asianet News and its employees approached the High Court to quash the complaint against them that was registered.

In a stinging remark against the manner in which the Kerala Police went about this case, the Court on Friday pointed out that there was nothing in the charge sheet which pointed to any wrong that had taken place due to the aired news.

The court went a step ahead and complimented Asianet News for airing a news on a socially relevant topic of drug abuse.

This issue was raised by the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly in 2023, and in reply, CM Vijayan then said, “None has forgotten how the Congress national government haunted the media during the Emergency days, when editors, journalists were arrested. By now, a huge section of the journalists have not expressed that any wrong was done by the police against Asianet News.”

On Friday, the Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan slammed the way the CPI(M) used its student and youth organisation in holding protests at the offices of Asianet then.

“The least Vijayan should do is to tender an apology as he thought he could use his power and authority to rein in a credible media organisation. The truth has triumphed today,” said Satheesan.

When the news was aired on Asianet in 2023, it had gathered traction, following which the police showed undue haste in carrying out the raids at the office of the media organisation. It was then treasury bench legislator P.V. Anvar who levelled the allegation of POCSO Act violation against the channel.

Today, the political scenario has changed as Anvar has not only resigned as MLA but has become a bitter critic of CM Vijayan. Anvar is now inclined towards the Congress-led UDF opposition.

IANS