Thiruvananthapuram: Despite a round of discussions involving Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, disagreements have continued to simmer between media persons and lawyers in Kerala.
Last week, lawyers were seen in a belligerent mood on court premises in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, and denied permission to media persons to report court proceedings. Lawyers also pasted a poster, ‘No entry for fourth gender’ on the windows of the media room and on vehicles of media persons parked in the court premises.
The incidents were triggered after media reported the arrest of advocate Dhanesh Mathew Manjooran, a government pleader who was apprehended for allegedly molesting a woman in Kochi.
On Monday, lawyers continued to insist on no-entry to media persons at the Ernakulam sessions court premises. The stoppage prevented journalists from entering the court premises on Monday when two men from Mumbai who are accused of radicalising youth from the state and prompting them to join Daesh forces, were being presented in court.
Journalists approached the Kochi city police commissioner, but they were told to report the proceedings from outside the court premises.
At a meeting involving the chief minister, it was decided to form a panel comprising media persons and lawyers to ensure smooth functioning of both sides in court reportage, but the agreement does not seem to be effective yet.
