On Friday, journalists in Coimbatore, the industrial hub of Tamil Nadu, reported to work, wearing masks which had the picture of a lock. They were protesting the arrest of Andrew Sam Raja Pandian, founder-CEO of a Coimbatore-based online news portal, SimpliCity.
The journalists alleged that the district administration was trying to muzzle freedom of press.
Pandian was arrested under Section 188 (Disobeying orders duly promulgated by a civil servant), and 505 (1) (b) (Intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against public tranquility), of the IPC, and Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act.
He was arrested following a complaint over two news reports—one about distribution of rice at the PDS shops, and the other about a protest by the PG doctors of Coimbatore Medical College over the failure of authorities to provide food to them—carried on his portal.
According to the FIR, Pandian was arrested following a complaint filed by M. Sundararajan, an assistant commissioner (personal administration) with the Coimbatore City Corporation, on Wednesday.
The complainant stated that the news portal posted news items that instigated the government doctors, health department staff and ration shop employees against the government. “If doctors boycott their work, there would be no frontline health workers to control the spread of COVID-19. If ration shop employees get involved in strikes, there is a possibility of a law and order problem,” he said in his complaint, and requested strict action against the news portal for publishing "fake news".
RS Puram police sub-inspector R. Mohanajothi registered a case. Pandian has been lodged in the Avinashi sub-jail.
This is the first time that the Epidemic Diseases Act has been invoked on a journalist since the pandemic.
DMK leader M.K. Stalin, AMMK founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran and MNM founder Kamal Haasan condemned the arrest.
“When a pandemic hit the country, the AIADMK ministers are intent on targeting journalists instead of focusing on containing the outbreak. The arrest of Sam Pandian is illegal and the height of arrogance,” Stalin said in his statement.
Coimbatore Press Club, Tiruppur Press Club, and Tamil Nadu Women Journalists Forum have criticised the police and government for the arrest. The journalists have also started a petition in Change.org in support of Pandian.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, two journalists of SimpliCity were illegally detained, in what could be seen an as attempt by the authorities to silence the press over the lapses in combating the disease.
It may be recalled that the Edappadi K. Palaniswami-led government, since February 2017, has been antagonistic towards the media. In November 2017, cartoonist Bala was arrested based on a complaint filed by Tirunelveli collector Sandeep Nanthuri over a cartoon criticising the chief minister and the district administration. In May 2017, independent journalist V. Anbhazhagan was arrested based on a slew of complaints over his report against minister S.P. Velumani. Around 25 FIRs were filed against him based on the complaints filed by the officials in the local administration.
