T’puram: Home minister Ramesh Chennithala on Friday said the police search at the office of Reporter TV was conducted in accordance with law and asserted that media freedom was fully protected in the state.Chennithala said no journalist had been subjected to ill-treatment or assault during the search and that the channel’s transmission had not been disrupted. The special investigation team (SIT) probing the case had been given complete freedom to conduct the investigation, he said.He said the home department did not issue directives to SIT on whom to arrest or not to arrest. “The search at the Reporter TV office was in connection with a case relating to financial fraud, and Reporter Broadcasting Company was the second accused in the case,” he said.“Phones were asked to be kept aside during the search, but they were returned immediately,” Chennithala said, adding that any lapses on the part of the police would be examined.Asked about the incident in which an assistant commissioner was seen sitting on a chair used by journalists, the minister asked whether the officer was expected to stand throughout the operation. Chennithala said he had sought details after complaints were raised about the police action and that it was clear that there had been no excesses on the part of the police.He contrasted the incident with cases during the previous govt in which journalists were arrested, handcuffed and jailed for 70 days. Cases had also been registered against journalists of Asianet and Marunadan Malayali, and the Asianet office in Kozhikode had been searched, he said. “Such a situation does not exist in Kerala now,” Chennithala said.On Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) letter concerning leader of the opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, Chennithala said govt would decide on further action after receiving legal advice and consulting the chief minister. There was no apprehension on the part of govt in the matter, he said. He also said the issue concerning political parties receiving funds should not be mixed up with the ED case.On drug-related cases, Chennithala said govt would take strong action without considering political affiliations or other influences. The police would arrest accused persons based on the drug cases and not on who they were photographed with or which political party they were associated with, he said.
