CHENNAI: The office-bearers of Chennai Press Club on Friday met the Madras High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Anna University rape case, and lodged their reservations about the seizure of mobile phones of journalists and treating them in an unfair manner.
Also investigating the alleged leak of the FIR in the case, the SIT had summoned a few journalists and seized their mobile phones, gadgets to probe them, for which an official acknowledgement was not given. Journalists were not treated with fairness by the team, the Chennai Press Club told the SIT.
In response, the SIT gave official acknowledgements, said they would be fair to them and assured that the office-bearers could meet the team at any time to voice their grievances.
The Chennai Press Club has called for a protest against the SIT on Saturday.
Return devices: Editors Guild
The Editors Guild of India on Friday demanded that the SIT return the devices and conduct the investigation in a manner that was not prejudicial to the rights of journalists and press freedom. In a statement, the guild said that the SIT sending summons via WhatsApp was an invalid means of serving legal notices as per the Supreme Court. It urged the centre to frame rules on search of journalists and seizure of devices.