Two Republic TV journalists arrested near Cochin Port for allegedly filming the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Lavan have approached an Ernakulam court seeking bail. The court has reserved its order and will pronounce the decision tomorrow.
Two journalists from Republic TV have approached a court in Ernakulam seeking bail after they were arrested for allegedly attempting to record visuals of an Iranian naval vessel anchored inside Cochin Port. The matter came up for hearing before the Judicial First Class Magistrate-I court in Ernakulam on Monday, where the court heard arguments from both sides and reserved its order on the bail plea. The court is expected to deliver its decision on the application on Tuesday.
The two journalists involved in the case are reporter Sankar CG and cameraman S Mani. Along with them, a boat driver who assisted them during the trip was also taken into custody by authorities in Kochi on Sunday, March 8.
According to reports, the journalists had travelled in a small hired boat to an area close to the port to record visuals of the Iranian naval ship IRIS Lavan, which is currently docked there.
The Iranian vessel IRIS Lavan arrived at Cochin Port a day after the United States reportedly sank another Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka amid the continuing conflict in West Asia. The docking of the vessel in Kochi was said to be part of a diplomatic arrangement between India and Iran.
Authorities said the journalists attempted to capture visuals of the foreign military vessel from a close distance while travelling in the hired boat. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is responsible for security at the port, noticed their activity and detained them near a restricted high-security zone. The area is considered sensitive, and photography or videography is not allowed without prior official permission.
Following their detention, the journalists and the boat driver were booked under serious legal provisions. The case has been registered under Sections 3(1)(a) and 5 of the Official Secrets Act 1923. Section 3(1)(a) deals with spying or collecting information in prohibited places, while Section 5 relates to the wrongful communication of sensitive information.
In addition to this, charges were also invoked under Sections 329(3) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, which deal with criminal trespass and acts committed with common intention.
During the hearing before the Ernakulam court, the journalists’ counsel strongly opposed the allegations and argued that the charges applied in the case were excessive. Advocate Geo Paul, appearing for the accused journalists, submitted that the journalists had not recorded any sensitive or objectionable footage while attempting to capture visuals of the vessel.
The counsel further argued that the docking of the Iranian ship had already been widely reported in the media, and therefore invoking the stringent provisions of the Official Secrets Act against the journalists was unjustified. He also pointed out that several other news organisations had been covering the presence of the vessel at the port.
The defence told the court that
“no objectionable footage had been recorded.”
The advocate also argued that
“other news organisations have also been reporting on the docking of the ship and, therefore, the charges under the Official Secrets Act would not stand against the two Republic TV journalists.”
The bail application was filed through advocate Luke J Chirayil, who moved the plea before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ernakulam seeking the release of the journalists. After hearing the submissions made by the defence, the court decided to reserve its order on the bail application.
The final decision on whether the journalists will be granted bail is expected to be announced by the court tomorrow, as the case continues to raise questions about media access, national security restrictions, and the application of the Official Secrets Act in situations involving journalistic activity near sensitive defence installations.
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