Report featuring minor girl: 3 Asianet journalists booked under POCSO Act

Ruling CPI(M) on Saturday stepped up its campaign against the media house as the party’s youth wing DYFI conducted public conventions in all 14-district headquarters in protest against “the criminal journalism’’ of the channel.

At the centre of the controversy is a roving report series “Narcotic is a dirty business’’ which the channel had telecast in November last year, as part of its campaign against drug menace in the state.

On November 10, the channel telecast an interview of a 14-year-old school girl from Kannur, who was allegedly abused after being forced to use synthetic drugs.

The girl had told the channel that more than 10 girls were trapped by the drug mafia.

The bone of contention is two news stories that Asianet had purportedly done with the same person on two different occasions. In the first story on August 10 last year, a woman reporter was speaking to a  minor victim, who had male-like voice. In the second video dated November 4, reporter Yousaf, who is facing the case, was seen interviewing the victim, who had a female voice. But, on both occasions, the victims were narrating the same incidents and trauma.

Asianet has so far not officially reacted to the allegation. However, defending their story, the channel had put out a video, in which the girl’s father was heard saying that her narration was genuine and it was Yousaf who had done the story.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said the fake news of the Asianet News cannot be justified by any manner.

“This is a cruel mistake. This fake news of the Asianet shows that right wing media in Kerala has been trying to show the LDF government in Kerala in poor light,’’ the CPM leader said in Thrissur.

CPI(M) in Kerala has a running feud with Asianet. Its news anchor Vinu V John is facing a case after  CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Elamaram Kareem complained against Vinu V John last year after the former was provoked over a news hour discussion against the hardships caused to people by a bharat bandh called by trade unions last year.

Earlier, CPI(M) had announced that party representatives would not take part in the debates aired by Asianet.