CM Pinarayi Vijayan orders probe into Asianet news channel vehicle attack

ALAPPUZHA: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that orders were given to conduct an intense probe over the attack on an Asianet news channel vehicle.  Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said that those hoping to silence media through intolerance were living in fool’s paradise.  CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that such attacks were unacceptable in a democracy. Congress leaders V.M. Sudheeran, KPCC p;resident M.M. Hassan and BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan condemned the attack. 

The politicians and cultural organisations across the state condemned the attack on the bureau of the TV channel at Alappuzha.  A vehicle of Asianet News Channel parked in front of its Alappuzha office near Pazhavangadi was vandalised by unidentified miscreants in the wee hours of Thursday.  The back and front glasses of the car taken on rent by Asianet  were shattered with concrete brick. The rear side glass was completely broken.  It may be recalled that Asianet reporter T.V. Prasad had been running stories against transport minister Thomas Chandy recently. Mr Prasad said that he was staying in the office and had gone to bed after 2 am on Thursday after filing his reports. 

“I was fast asleep and I came to know about the attack only around 7.30 am on Thursday when the people residing near the office informed me over phone. I did not hear any sound of attack during the night,” he said.  A police team led by Alappuzha district police chief S. Surendran visited the spot and gathered evidence. Mr Surendran said the team was checking the CCTV visuals of nearby houses and institutions.   The channel office didn’t have CCTV. The dog squad and fingerprint experts also inspected the spot. The police has not got any hint about the assailants. 

“We have intensified our search and are checking CCTV cameras and phone calls from the area,” Mr Surendran  said. The Kerala Union of Working Journalists members in Alappuzha protested against the attack. Prominent persons like Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran, CPI district secretary T.J. Anjalose, former MLA A.A. Shukoor and others visited the office. DCC president M.Liju, BJP district president K. Soman and CPM district secretary Saji Cherian visited the office.