Journalist Savithri Kannan was arrested on Sunday in connection with a report he had written on the death of a schoolgirl in Kallakurichi in July. Kannan, the editor of news portal Aram Online, was arrested from his house in Chennai.
The schoolgirl, a student of Class 12, was found dead in her school premises on July 13. Her death triggered widespread violence and arson. The police alleged to have found a suicide note while her family demanded action against the school’s administration; five people were subsequently arrested.
In August, the Madras High Court granted bail to all five and said there was “no evidence to show that the petitioners instigated the deceased to commit suicide soon before her death”. The high court also said this was a case of suicide, not rape or murder.
According to the Hindu, Kannan had written an article questioning the authenticity of the suicide note. He was booked under penal sections pertaining to provocation for riot, promoting enmity, statements conducing to public mischief, and intent to provoke breach of peace. He was released on bail a few hours later.
Kannan told the New Indian Express: “A team of policemen in mufti entered my house and introduced themselves as cops from Kallakurichi cyber crime cell. I would have gone with them without creating any problem, but they seized my phone and forcibly took me with them...They questioned me about my story on the website and asked if I had any proof. I told them that I had written the story without crossing the limits of freedom of expression.”
The Chennai Press Club issued a statement condemning Kannan’s arrest, Hindustan Times reported today: “The state government must protect democracy. They should not use the police for authoritarian measures.”
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