Mangalore, November 10: Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike (KKSV) and Karavali Sauharda Sangharsha Samithi (KSSS) have pledged to intensify their efforts to ensure that justice would be done in the case of arrested telivison journalist Naveen Soorinje, in 'homestay' attack.
Addressing media persons here on Saturday, PUCL state president P B D'Sa said that it was not necessary for the police to have arrested the journalist when his anticipatory bail application was still pending in the court. He alleged that the intention of police in arresting Mr Soorinje was only to deny him chances of getting bail.
Stating that the additional case of dacoity also slapped on him was absurd, he urged the authorities to immediately withdraw the false cases.
“People ought to unitedly stand up and support this cause. If the case is not taken back, the only option would be to apply for relief in the High Court. As a legal advisor of the Vedike, Justice M F Saldanha would write a letter to the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court and appeal for relief,” he said.
Ali Hasan of PUCL said that they would oppose any instances of so-called moral policing, and alleged that the arrest of Mr Soorinje was just a cover-up by the police department of their failure to check moral policing.
Alwyn Colaco of KKSV opined that the entire debacle had been devised by the politicians to curb the constitutional liberties such as secularism and freedom. “These are attempts by the RSS who have a strategy and hidden agenda to promote Hindutva in the state. It is a full-fledged conspiracy of the Sangh Parivar to control the freedom of the people at every step, and the police are just victims in their hands. Now they are trying to exercise their control on the media as well,” he opined.
Members of KKSV Mohammed Kabeer and Imtiaz were present.
In a separate media conference convened by KSSS president and Bantwal MLA B Ramanath Rai said that Mr Soorinje's name removed from the list of accused in homestay attack. A journalist being arrested for doing his job hurts the sentiments of the people. KSSS will take up a protest against his arrest and appeal to the government to look into the matter, he said.
He said that the organisation will hold a protest on November 13 in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office at 3.30 pm.
Replying to a query, he said that the KSSS had not anticipated Mr Soorinje's arrest and hence had not taken action so far. “Even in spite of giving assurances, the police went on to arrest him, making it inevitable for us to take up struggle. While we condemn all instances of moral policing done in the city, the homestay case is a serious one. We will press the state government to reconsider the arrest,” he said.
B Madhava, District Secretary, CPI (M), and General Secretary of the KSSS, said that protecting communal harmony was their responsibility and that such an act went against the civil rule.
He hoped that the case against Mr Soorinje would be taken back, as in the case of Anna Hazare's arrest during his hunger strike wherein the case against him was taken back.
He went on to condemn the instance of moral policing that occurred a couple of days ago on a member of the Padubidri gram Panchayat and her companions travelling in a car in Bajpe.
KSSS Vice-presidents Ivan D'Souza and P Sanjeeva, Secretary PV Mohan, treasurer K Yadav Shetty, Muneer Katipalla, T K Sudhir, Shashiraj Kavoor, Krishnappa Poojari, and others were present.
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