In a classic case of how TRP-hungry TV channels can land in serious trouble by using obviously forbidden means to meet the target, the Kerala Police on Friday registered an FIR against the Chief Executive Officer of the Malayalam news channel, Mangalam TV, and eight of its employees who constituted an “investigation team” for a sting operation using the honey-trap way which forced a Minister of the NCP to resign.
The police’s action came within hours of channel CEO R Ajithkumar apologised by admitting on Thursday night that the audio-clip they aired, in which then Transports Minister AK Saseendran was heard making lewd remarks to a woman, was the product of a honey-trap operation his team had carried out and amidst protests by woman journalists who charged the channel with bringing disrepute to all woman journalists by using woman reporters for the unethical operation.
A special investigation team (SIT) of the Kerala Police, constituted on Thursday, booked the nine channel personalities under relevant sections of the IT Act and for misuse of the electronic media and criminal conspiracy. In fact, the police have registered two cases against the channel, and seven have been named as accused in the case.
Saseendran, a 71-year-old five-time legislator, had resigned as Transports Minister within a few hours of the TV channel telecasting the audio-clip in which he was heard talking in sexually explicit terms to a woman, claiming that it was the recording of a phone conversation between him and a woman who had sought redressal of some grievance.
However, the channel was unable prove whether there was actually such a woman complainant, what assistance she had sought, what the situation of the conversation was, etc, triggering the suspicion that there actually was no complainant and the clip was the product of some fraudulent. act. Also, no woman approached the authorities with a complaint against Saseendran.
The broadcast material and the way in which it was presented within hours of the launch of the channel on March 26 created shock, surprise and anger not just in the State Government and political circles but in the media field where senior journalists expressed extreme disgust terming it unethical and the most inappropriate way for launching a media venture.
“For three days, the channel CEO managed to keep a bold face saying that he would even shut down the channel if the clip and the conversation were proved wrong. But he found it impossible to hold his ground anymore by Thursday evening after the police started the investigation,” said senior journalist Rajeev. A judicial probe is also on into the issue.
The channel CEO’s defences fell apart actually, after a young woman journalist with Mangalam resigned and informed the world through the social media that it was no well-intended sting but a honey-trap operation devised through conspiracy using a woman employee to entrap the then minister. Another young journalist also resigned citing similar reasons.
“What did they proveIJ No mention of corruption, nepotism, conspiracy or even a simple favour was there in that clip. The only proof it contained was about the leader’s libido. Can you use an insecure woman employee for thisIJ It has brought disrepute to the entire woman journalists,” fumed a woman journalist who has been covering woman’s rights issues for two decades.
On Friday, woman journalists belonging to the Network of Women in Media held a protest march to the channel’s office in Thiruvananthapuram shouting slogans like “I am proud of my integrity, Proud to be a woman journalist”, “Mangalam deserves no forgiveness” and “Female reporter is not equal to honey trap”.