Kerala Police raid news portal 'Marunadan Malayali' office, houses of employees

The Kerala Police on Monday conducted raids at the offices of online news portal Marunadan Malayali and at the residence of its reporters in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. The officials reportedly seized all the equipment and personal mobile phones of the staff. Marunadan Malayali is a news portal with Shajan Skariah as its editor and has multiple offices and 50 employees working for it.

The action followed the Kerala High Court order cancelling the anticipatory bail of Shajan Skariah, the owner of the portal which has over 20 lakh subscribers and enjoys a massive following on social media.

A defamation case has been filed by the CPI(M) Kunnathunadu MLA PV Sreenijan along with an additional section of the SC/ST Atrocities Act. He alleged that a particular news story was covered by Shajan on May 24 which has improper administration of a Sports Hostel under the chairmanship of Sreenijan.

On July 1, the Kerala High Court denied anticipatory bail to Shajan in the case by stating ‘reference to the caste name of the victim is not necessary for attracting the offence’ under Section 3(1)(r) (of the SC/ST Act). The Ernakulam District Sessions Court had also rejected the bail application earlier.

The Police have substantiated the raid by stating all the equipment and gadgets of the YouTube-based channel were confiscated to find the source of the defamatory news. The officials carried out the raids at the Thiruvananthapuram Pattom office last night where 29 computers, cameras and laptops were taken into custody by the Kochi police and the employees were instructed not to enter the establishment.

Peeyush, a reporter for Marunadan Malayali told Republic Media Network, "They have rendered us without a job. They took all equipment, froze the company's bank account transactions and instructed us not to work here.” 

Meanwhile, the police who are on the lookout for Shajan were unable to trace him. “We have conducted raids at many offices and residences of the people associated with the portal. We will catch him soon,” stated Sheikh Darvesh Sahib, the Kerala Police Chief, who took charge as DGP recently.

CPI(M) MLA PV Anwar threatens the channel's reporter on social media

PV Anwar, the Marxist party’s Nilambur MLA, posted on the reporters’ profile that he will be the next in line to be arrested. “Keep your clothes stitched. They are coming for you as well,” the MLA wrote.

Peeyoosh R, a senior reporter of the channel, took to Facebook and criticised the move by stating that the leaders who keep criticising the lack of media freedom in North India are all silent today despite a direct attack. “Let this be a lesson for all those who have closed their eyes to this atrocity,” he wrote.

However, Anwar had begun to issue threats to shut the shop on the channel publicly on Facebook. He had openly challenged Shajan that he will ensure that the office of the portal will be brought to his knees. Since June 1, Anwar has been issuing a barrage of challenges to its editor as he wrote,  “I will bring your office down along with you, “claiming the channel had forged documents to get registration".

Following this, there have been multiple exchanges of words and potshots taken by the MLA and Shajan. In a post made on June 8, Anwar shared a photograph of posing near the Marunadan Malayali office in Thiruvananthapuram repeating that he will bring the place down using a biblical analogy.

The CPI(M) MLA has also opened a ‘help desk for Marunadan Malayali Fake News Victims’ in a bid to provide legal assistance to those who have views against the channel. “We will file so many cases against you in different parts of Kerala that you will only have time to run from one court to another,” he stated. The MLA also put out a bulk of posts showing how a large number of people have galvanised support to shut shop on the Youtube Portal.

Meanwhile, the channel in response has also begun publishing support rendered by politicians. Congress and BJP leaders have come on record to support the channel and termed PV Anwar’s move as an attack on press freedom.

After the raid, the MLA took to Facebook and asked the media to do their job ‘respectfully’ if they want to be safe as he warned of dire consequences by stating that his people will highlight the next media target by providing them with a ‘chest number’ and take them on.

Equipment seized during the raid in Kerala