The Kerala Police are in the news for taking the mobile phone of a reporter named Aniru Ashokan from a Malayalam newspaper. This has led many local journalists to speak out in support of him.
Why did this happen? Aniru reported that hackers leaked sensitive information of about 6.5 million people who applied for jobs with the Public Service Commission (PSC). He also mentioned that he was pressured to reveal his sources for this information, which raised alarm bells for many in the media.
In response to the police’s actions, the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) organized marches in several places, including Kochi and Kozhikode, to protest against what they see as an attack on press freedom.
Senior political figures, like Congress leader M.M. Hassan, have called the police’s actions extreme and threatening to journalists. He insisted that the police should stop trying to control the press.
Madhyamam Daily, the newspaper that Aniru works for, announced that they plan to take legal action to protect their reporter’s rights.
Kerala Journalist’s Phone Seized: Protests Erupt Over Press Freedom
Kerala Police’s seizure of reporter Aniru Ashokan’s phone sparks protests from journalists over press freedom after his report on a major data leak.
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