Coimbatore: Human Rights Defenders Alert (HRDA) forum to defend Human rights in India has sent an urgent appeal to the State Human Rights Commission, Tamil Nadu to take action to release Andrew Sam Raja Panadian, founder & CEO of Simplicity, news portal.
Coimbatore:Human Rights Defenders Alert (HRDA) forum to defend Human rights in India has sent an urgent appeal to the State Human Rights Commission, Tamil Nadu to take action to release Andrew Sam Raja Panadian, founder & CEO of Simplicity, news portal.
D. Andrew Sam was arrested on April 23 by R.S.Puram police based on a complaint filed by Coimbatore Corporation Assistant Commissioner, Personnel, Sundarrajan for publishing two news articles.
In its appeal HRDA has mentioned that, according to sources, the B-2 R.S. Puram police of Coimbatore city police arrested Mr. Andrew Sam Raja Pandian on April 23, 2020, for reporting about the shortage of food for post-graduate resident doctors in the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) and irregularities in the public distribution system (PDS) in Coimbatore district.
He was produced before the Judicial Magistrate No IV, since the jurisdictional Magistrate JM No 1 was on leave and the Judicial Magistrate remanded him to judicial custody. Since April 24, 2020 he has been lodged in the Avinashi Sub-jail.
Andrew Sam was arrested by personnel of R.S. Puram Police Station based on FIR with Crime No. 654/2020 for offenses under Sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a civil servant) and 505(1) (Statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act. The FIR has been registered based on a complaint filed by M. Sundararajan, Assistant Commissioner of Coimbatore Municipal Corporation.
The complaint alleged that such reports were provocative enough to turn healthcare professionals and ration shop employees against the Government. It further alleged that they could also lead healthcare professionals to stop working, thus affecting response to COVID -19 management in Tamil Nadu.
HRDA has further mentioned that the forum vehemently condemns the arrest and false charges against the journalist. HRDA strongly believes that the complaint against Mr. Andrew Sam Raja Pandian goes totally contrary to the expressions of not only the UNHCHR but also the UN Secretary General. Journalists across the state, risking their lives by exposing themselves to COVID-19, have been bringing to the knowledge of the public, amid total lockdown. The Coimbatore City Police has arbitrarily arrested Mr. Andrew without following the guidelines of the Supreme Court in the case of Arnesh Kumar Vs State of Bihar.
The appeal signed by Henry Thipagne, National working secretary, HRDA urges the State Human Rights Commission to immediately take necessary steps and Since the facts are extremely clear in this case and the victim (journalist) is in judicial custody, that this Hon’ble Commission may use its power under Section 12 (b) of the Protection of Human Rights Act and intervenes before the Judicial Magistrate No 1, Coimbatore and seek his immediate release on bail without sureties without any further delay.
This is a gross human rights violation to arrest and remand a journalist for undertaking professional duty and reporting on public interest issues that he has published.
D. Andrew Sam was arrested on April 23 by R.S.Puram police based on a complaint filed by Coimbatore Corporation Assistant Commissioner, Personnel, Sundarrajan for publishing two news articles.
In its appeal HRDA has mentioned that, according to sources, the B-2 R.S. Puram police of Coimbatore city police arrested Mr. Andrew Sam Raja Pandian on April 23, 2020, for reporting about the shortage of food for post-graduate resident doctors in the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) and irregularities in the public distribution system (PDS) in Coimbatore district.
He was produced before the Judicial Magistrate No IV, since the jurisdictional Magistrate JM No 1 was on leave and the Judicial Magistrate remanded him to judicial custody. Since April 24, 2020 he has been lodged in the Avinashi Sub-jail.
Andrew Sam was arrested by personnel of R.S. Puram Police Station based on FIR with Crime No. 654/2020 for offenses under Sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a civil servant) and 505(1) (Statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act. The FIR has been registered based on a complaint filed by M. Sundararajan, Assistant Commissioner of Coimbatore Municipal Corporation.
The complaint alleged that such reports were provocative enough to turn healthcare professionals and ration shop employees against the Government. It further alleged that they could also lead healthcare professionals to stop working, thus affecting response to COVID -19 management in Tamil Nadu.
HRDA has further mentioned that the forum vehemently condemns the arrest and false charges against the journalist. HRDA strongly believes that the complaint against Mr. Andrew Sam Raja Pandian goes totally contrary to the expressions of not only the UNHCHR but also the UN Secretary General. Journalists across the state, risking their lives by exposing themselves to COVID-19, have been bringing to the knowledge of the public, amid total lockdown. The Coimbatore City Police has arbitrarily arrested Mr. Andrew without following the guidelines of the Supreme Court in the case of Arnesh Kumar Vs State of Bihar.
The appeal signed by Henry Thipagne, National working secretary, HRDA urges the State Human Rights Commission to immediately take necessary steps and Since the facts are extremely clear in this case and the victim (journalist) is in judicial custody, that this Hon’ble Commission may use its power under Section 12 (b) of the Protection of Human Rights Act and intervenes before the Judicial Magistrate No 1, Coimbatore and seek his immediate release on bail without sureties without any further delay.
This is a gross human rights violation to arrest and remand a journalist for undertaking professional duty and reporting on public interest issues that he has published.