Mangalore: Mediapersons could have Prevented Resort Attack: Police Commissioner
Pics: Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)
Mangalore, Jul 30: The grave attack on the Morning Mist home stay could have been prevented if the media persons had done their duty as responsible citizens. Humanitarian duty is more important and should come before profession, said city police commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh.
He was speaking to mediapersons, led by Dakshina Kannada Working Journalists' Union (DKWJU) president P B Harish Rai, after they submitted an appeal urging to withdraw the FIR filed against two TV media persons who were booked for allegedly provoking the attack on boys and girls at the resort by the HJV activists.
He said that a committee with people from the media and the police department could be formed and investigation will reveal further details.
He questioned the act of mediapersons who were capturing only the victims and not the assaulters. "As it was not a rave party, police also had appealed to the cameramen not to shoot video of the girl victims walking towards the police vans after they were assaulted. Some listened while a few others did not," he said.
He also added that if the police had been informed by the mediapersons at the spot, the entire incident would not have taken place, as, after the arrival of the police the activists stopped assaulting. He assured that no journalist will be victimized without solid proof.
He clarified that mediapersons were not accused of being the cause for the incident, but that they failed in preventing a serious offence. "In case there was any shortcoming on the side of the police personnel, impartial action will be taken after through investigation into the matter," he said.
He said that as of now, FIR has been filed against two mediapersons but they have not been arrested.
Earlier, P B Harish Rai said that the FIR filed against the mediapersons should be withdrawn as it was the duty of a journalist to go the spot and report the entre incident. He also warned of intense fight in the future if the FIR was not revoked.
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