Thiruvananthapuram: Chief minister V D Satheesan said the police search at the Kochi office of Reporter TV in connection with an alleged fraud involving a proposed Lionel Messi event was part of police action and not a govt policy.Speaking at a news conference after the cabinet meeting here on Wednesday, Satheesan said the search was conducted based on serious findings in a preliminary inquiry by the GST department and a report submitted by the sports department.“The action is part of the police investigation and not govt policy,” he said. Satheesan also said he was not aware that the channel’s broadcast had been disrupted during the search. “In fact, I saw the news about the raid on the same channel,” he said.The CM’s remarks came amid criticism from opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan over the investigation involving a media organisation. Satheesan said police had entered several media establishments and cases had been registered against journalists during Vijayan’s tenure as CM.He said the search at the channel’s office was conducted legally with a search warrant.Meanwhile, sports minister O J Janeesh said the search should not be viewed as an attack on journalists or the media. He said the investigation was against alleged irregularities on the part of the sponsor. “Bringing Messi to Kerala or renovating a stadium does not constitute journalism,” the minister said, adding that no action would be taken against media organisations or journalists merely for their reporting.Janeesh said there were shortcomings in the channel’s claims and there was no need to portray the investigation as action against journalists. The minister reiterated that no investigation had been ordered against any media organisation as such.Vijayan strongly condemned the Kerala Police action at the Kochi office of Reporter TV, alleging that a police team entered the news desk and disrupted news broadcasting. In a statement, he said the police action was “highly condemnable” and alleged that a group of police officers entered the news desk in the early hours and forcibly took away the mobile phones of journalists.He said the police action created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation at the office for nearly one-and-a-half hours. The police also recorded visuals of the journalists, he alleged.Vijayan said the action, which allegedly disrupted the functioning of a media organisation, was a serious matter and criticised the police for entering the newsroom and interfering with journalists while they were carrying out their professional duties.
