Kochi: Acting Chief Justice of Kerala High Court Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan on Wednesday assured protesting journalists that he will take effective steps to ensure safety of reporters covering the High Court.
The ACJ’s intervention followed a series of unprecedented events in which a section of lawyers unleashed terror on mediapersons the second day, heckling woman reporters, chasing others out of the court premises and vandalising the media room in the court building. They also attacked mediapersons holding a sit-in outside the court against the unruly behavior of the advocates and broke the equipment of cameramen of TV channels.
Asianet cameraman Rakesh Thakazhi, senior reporter Salam P. Hydrose and MediaOne cameraman Monish and several others were injured in the attack by the group, who alleged that the media was unfair in covering the news related to a case of sexual abuse charged against a government pleader. A few autorickshaw drivers were also manhandled by the advocates.
It all started when a section of lawyers stopped mediapersons from entering the media room and abused them. They also locked the room even as the police on duty rescued the journalists from physical violence. The women journalists then retreated to the safety of the registrar’s office. They came out from the court in the evening after Justice Radhakrishnan intervened and ensure police protection.
On hearing that reporters were trapped in the court, other mediapersons reached the HC and held a sit-in protest. A section of advocates then assembled near the HC gate and started throwing stones and coins at the protesting mediapersons. A strong posse of police personnel led by city police commissioner M.P. Dinesh cordoned off the area even as the lawyer’s group was trying to break and attack them. The journalists ended the sit-in after Mr Dinesh promised to take action against the erring lawyers.
