Kerala - Kollam   

PSC employees attack journalists in Kollam, four hospitalised

Staff Reporter

Dispute over recruitment of women police led to fracas

Free for all: A scene of the scuffle at the PSC office in Kollam on Tuesday.

KOLLAM: Press persons who went to cover a dispute at the district office of the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) at Kollam on Tuesday afternoon were brutally beaten up by a section of the PSC staff members. Four press persons who were injured in the attack have been hospitalised. They are Shinoj Shamshudeen (Madhyamam), P. Shibu (Deshabhimani), R. Thampi (ACV News) and J. Titus (Indiavision).

The dispute in question was one over the physical test for selection of women police which was scheduled today at the Lal Bahadur Stadium here. Candidates from some of the northern districts arrived here to attend the test. But to their utter dismay the test was conducted in violation of established norms. When this was pointed out, the PSC authorities present at the stadium postponed the remaining tests while declaring as valid the other tests conducted.

This again invited protests and a good section of the candidates marched to the PSC office for submitting a joint complaint to the PSC district officer. It was to cover this that a section of the media persons arrived at the PSC office.

But suddenly more than 15 employees of the PSC office blocked the media persons and asked them to leave the premises. When the media persons said that they would like to meet the district officer for his version on the allegations against the PSC by the candidates, one of the PSC employee suddenly punched Mr. Shamshudeen.

Taking cue from this, the rest of the PSC men began to brutally assault the media persons. Even as the journalists said that they are there as part of their duty, the assaults only increased. As the news spread, almost the entire fraternity of press persons led by the Kollam Press Club secretary, P. Anil Kumar, rushed to the rescue of the four.

Tense situation

By 4 p.m. a tense situation prevailed at the PSC office as the PSC staff ganged up on one side to launch another attack on the reporters. But they soon developed cold feet as the journalists had arrived there in strength raising slogans and holding a dharna in front of the PSC office. A huge police posse separated both sides. In the interim, one PSC employee suddenly came rushing forward and brutally attacked the ACV cameraman, Thampi.

This led to the media persons bracing up to retaliate. In the melee which followed, Mr. Anil Kumar was badly roughed up by a section of the police and the PSC staff.

But the PSC staff were chased away. The Kollam SP, S. Sreejith, then intervened following which the media persons agreed to call off the dharna.

On learning about the development the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy intervened and gave directions to the police to take strong action against those who assaulted the reporters.

Following this assurance, the reporters dispersed. Later the district unit of the KUWJ held a meeting and registered its protest against the assault.

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