Updated: September 10, 2020 8:29:23 am
Calling the incident “a horrendous overreach” by the state government, the statement said the journalist is under pressure “to reveal his story, his clues and his sources.”
Three people, including two journalists from the Republic Media Network, were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly trespassing on the country house of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Khalapur in Raigad district.
Criticizing the police for “suppressing” the right to report, Republic said that its “reporter Anuj Kumar, videojournalist Yashpaljit Singh and Ola Pradeep’s taxi driver Dilip Dhanavade have been illegally detained by Maharashtra police.” The three, the channel said, were “following a journalistic lead on an investigative mission.”
A statement issued by the Raigad Police on Wednesday said that “three suspects” entered the premises illegally around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, after which they mistreated and threatened the security guard of the farmhouse.
All three were registered under Sections 452 of the IPC (breaking and entering after preparing for harm, assault or undue restraint); 448 (punishment for breaking and entering); 323 (punishment for causing harm voluntarily); 504 (intentional insult with the intention of causing a breach of public order); 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intent). They were brought before a court in Khalapur and remained in police custody until 14 September.
“The team was detained and jailed for four days after conducting an investigation with a security guard from a certain residence. We are surprised that the Republic team was denied any legal representation before being sent to four days of custody, ”Republic said.
Police said the complainant in the case was the security guard employed at the farm. He was on duty and walking to work when three men in a car asked him how to get to Thackeray’s farm. Suspecting his intention, the guard told them he did not know, police said.
Minutes later, the three arrived at the lodge, saw the guard at the door, entered his room and abused him, police said.
“The sequence of events, the nature of the action, and the motivated attempt to silence our reporters seeking investigative stories reeks of vengeful, malicious and vengeful actions by the Maharashtra government… Republic Media Network strongly supports your team and will take all available legal resources fight for justice. We will raise this in each forum and campaign until justice is served, ”said the network.
Denying the accusations, the channel said: “If the intention had been to ‘trespass’ as alleged, an official investigation would not have been carried out on a security guard at a residential gate.”
Calling the incident “a horrendous overreach” by the state government, the statement said the journalist is under pressure “to reveal his story, his clues and his sources.”
“In a free democratic country, if a reporter near the prime minister’s house to pursue a story is jailed for 4 days without legal representation, it is not only an obvious and blatant attack on the right to report, but also the most determined attack on freedom of the press in India, “said the network.
Raigad SP Anil Paraskar said: “Two of them are affiliated with a news channel and they came from Mumbai. We presented our opinion in court and, consequently, they were taken into police custody ”.
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