The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) on Monday, June 12 took out a protest march against the booking of journalist Akhila Nandakumar in a complaint filed by Students’ Federation of India (SFI) leader PM Arsho. The march from the Press Club to the office of the Commissioner of Police in Kochi saw the participation of several journalists. MR Harikumar, president of the Ernakulam Press Club, KUWJ president MV Vineetha, general secretary Kiran Babu, and trade union leader Thampan Thomas were among those present.
Akhila, a reporter with the Malayalam news channel Asianet, is the fifth accused in a case based on a complaint by Arsho to the state police chief Anil Kant. The complaint was against a news report by Akhila alleging that Arsho, an MA Archaeology student at Maharaja’s College Ernakulam, had passed all his exams without appearing for them.
The controversy broke out after it was found that Arsho had cleared his third semester examinations even though his mark list showed that he had not written any of the papers. This sparked protests, with opposing student groups accusing the SFI (student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)) of helping Arsho clear the examinations.
Akhila was at the college for another story when a Kerala Students Union (KSU, student wing of the Congress) leader made allegations against Arsho on her live. Arsho had alleged conspiracy in the controversy surrounding the results, stating that he was not present in Ernakulam when the examinations were conducted.
Kiran Babu said that it is only natural that a journalist who is reporting on an allegation against a political organisation in a college would speak to the opposing political groups. “Akhila reported the reactions of the KSU leaders with utmost caution. She stated that it was an allegation raised by the KSU, and not that PM Arsho forged a certificate. Political parties often raise allegations of corruption and other issues through press conferences or through quotes given to individual journalists,” he said.
Addressing the protesting journalists, Thampan Thomas said, “Media is considered the fourth pillar in preserving and ensuring democracy and freedom in a country. Independent and unbiased journalism is what sustains democracy in India. All the citizens of this country will come forward to question any voice that opposes it. No section of persons can take steps to single out journalists and target them for political reasons. No matter who takes such steps, other journalists, workers, farmers, and others will stand with you.”
Besides Akhila, Maharaja’s College Principal VS Joy, Archaeology Department head Dr Vinod Kumar, KSU state president Aloysious Xavier, and KSU Maharaja’s unit president Fazil are the first to fourth accused. They have been booked under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 465 (forgery), 469 (forgery for harming reputation), and 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.