Media probe makes Pinarayi see red

12 Sep 2009

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday attempted to pit the police against the media and suggested an inquiry into the activities of the media in the Paul George murder case.

Pinarayi's press conference held here carried enough hints to CPM cadres to 'handle' those media organisations which bring disturbing facts to the public attention.

According to him, the media should swallow whatever the police say regarding a murder inquiry and never try to question the logic in the police version. "If someone takes on the role of the police, it is not with a genuine reason," he said.

Venting his anger against the media in general, and the Asianet News channel in particular, Pinarayi alleged that a section of the media was actually shielding goondas.

"Do you possess the insight to know that the police commissioned a blacksmith to make the dagger?" he asked, alleging a mala fide intention behind the Asianet News investigation to find out the truth behind the S-shaped dagger.

When it was pointed out that there were visuals showing the confession of the blacksmith who was allegedly commissioned by the police to make the dagger, and another set of visuals showing the dagger being placed inside the house of Kari Satheesh, the first accused in the Paul George murder case, Pinarayi bluntly said he didn't believe those visuals.

"The media is trying to demoralise inquiry officers and divert the case. In fact, there should be an inquiry into the role of the media. Since there is protection for the media, the police are reluctant to initiate any action against them," said Pinarayi.

He lost his temper and evaded a reply when a journalist pointed out that arrested goondas like Hariprasad and Sukran Ranjith were CPM workers and asked what the logic then was in arguing that it was the media which was shielding goondas.