Attack at Tamil news channel: NHRC seeks report from Chennai

The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday issued a notice to Chennai police asking it to submit a report on the alleged attack at a Tamil channel over the planned telecast of a controversial programme.

NHRC said in a statement today that it has asked the Chennai Police Commissioner to direct an inquiry into the incident and submit a report within six weeks.

The notice was issued after the commission took suo motu cognisance of media reports that the office of a Tamil news channel, 'Purthiya Thalaimurai', was attacked by persons opposed to the proposed telecast of a controversial show by it debating the relevance of wearing the 'Thaali' or 'Mangalsutra' by women who were either tortured or abandoned by their husbands.

The protests reportedly started after some promos of the programme were shown March 11. The protesters claimed that the programme was made to hurt religious sentiments in the name of the freedom of expression.

According to reports, on March 15, protesters outside the channel's office attacked a cameraman and broke his equipment.

Also, a Deputy Commissioner and an Assistant Commissioner of Police, who had reached the spot, were alleged to have asked how the channel expected security when it was showing a controversial programme, the statement said.

Later, 10 persons belonging to the Hindu Munnani (Hindu Front) outfit were arrested in connection with the matter, the statement added.

Incidentally, days later, a fringe outfit, Hindu Youth Sena, had hurled crackers stuffed in tiffin boxes at the premises of the channel's office in Chennai.