Daijiworld Media Network - Mysuru (SP)

Mysuru, May 8: Supporters of education minister, Tanveer Sait, manhandled a reporter of Time of India (TOI), posed death threats to him, and kept him under house arrest for about half an our in the city on Monday May 7.

A TOI reporter, Shivendra Aras, had been sent to cover the electioneering programme of Sait in Gayatripuram within Narasimharaja constituency on Monday. During the programme, a girl student took Sait to task. Shivendra, who noticed this development, approached the concerned girl student and was obtaining additional information from her when Congress leader, Shivalingappa and others pulled and shoved Shivendra, it is said. Even after Aras introduced himself as the reporter of the said English daily, the party workers forcibly snatched away his pen and books besides raining choicest abuses at him. When he tried to call his office, they made an effort to forcibly take away his phone.

It is said that they posed threat to Aras not to write anything negative about their leader. The reporter was then forcibly taken to a house and made to get seated there. Later, Sait came there, and warned the reporter about publishing material against him and in favour of SDPI in the newspaper with whom he is associated with, before sending him away with a warning.

On the basis of complaint filed by the reporter, the police registered case against Tanveer Sait, Congress activist, Shivalingappa, and eight others under sections 341, 323 and 506 of Indian Penal Code. They also have undertaken investigation.

Condemning the incident, Mysuru District Journalists Union has planned protest against the said incident in front of the court complex in the city at 11.30 am on Tuesday May 8.