Kerala CM justifies police against woman journo in shoe hurling incident

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday justified the registration of a case against a woman journalist for hurling shoes at a bus on which he was travelling and said the police action was based on evidence.

There won't be any hindrance for any journalist to perform their duty but conspiracy couldn't be entertained, he told a press conference here.

The CM was responding to a question about the registration of a case by Kurupumpady police against the woman television reporter.

The visibly angry Chief Minister also said police have registered the case based on evidence and the journalists can prove otherwise if it was not correct.

When reporters confronted him with a volley of queries, Vijayan said no one should think that they can raise their voice and intimidate anyone.

"Police have registered a case (against the journalist). They said that there was a conspiracy behind it. But, you are denying that. If it is so, you prove it... who has an issue?" he asked.

Alleging that there are media persons good at plotting, Vijayan said they had to face the case as well.

He also made it clear that there was no need for him to examine the police action as he trusted the law enforcers.

Recently, the police arraigned a woman television journalist as the fifth accused in the incident of shoe hurling at a bus carrying Vijayan.

A shoe was reportedly thrown at the special bus when the CM and his cabinet colleagues were travelling through the district as part of the 'Nava Kerala Sadas' outreach programme early this month.

The police probed the incident and registered a case against four identified KSU workers in connection with it. Now, Vineetha V G, reporter of Malayalam news channel Twenty-Four, was also arraigned as accused in the case, they said.

Confirming the development, a senior police officer said a case in this regard was registered on December 10 and the journalist was arraigned later after "understanding that she also had her own role in the incident." Meanwhile, the opposition Congress flayed the Left government over the issue and termed it an "anti-democratic act."