INS,Editors Guild condemn journalist’s arrest

The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) on Thursday condemned the arrest of the news editor of Tamil daily Dinamalar in connection with the publication of a news report,which enraged the Tamil film industry,and termed the action of Tamil Nadu police as “serious threat to the freedom of press”. “Police in plainclothes entering a newspaper office and dragging the News Editor (B Lenin) into custody is unheard of,and governments of the day should desist from such acts meant to muzzle the press,” INS president T Venkattram Reddy said in a statement. He also criticised the police action saying it was all the more reprehensible since the newspaper had expressed unqualified regret suo motu for publishing the article. The Editors Guild of India also condemned the arrest of Lenin,saying it was shocked to hear that the policemen,who did not have a warrant from a judicial authority,dragged him out. “He was hastily produced before a magistrate and was not allowed access to legal assistance,” the Guild said in a statement. The Guild demanded the immediate release of Lenin.