In a recent development, Greater Chennai Police denied registering an FIR against a video journalist as claimed by a journalist group. Following a complaint, a Community Service Register (CSR) was issued against T.R. Senthil Kumar, a cameraperson from a private television channel. The incident sparked a protest by journalists outside the Chennai City Police Commissioner’s office against the alleged FIR.
The controversy stemmed from a raid conducted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) at the office of Tamil film producer and former DMK NRI cell leader, A.R. Jaffer Sadik. Senthil Kumar captured visuals inside Sadik’s office during the raid, leading to an altercation with DMK cadres outside. This resulted in Kumar being manhandled and subsequently hospitalized. The police have since filed a case against those identified by Senthil Kumar in connection with the incident.
Jaffer Sadik is implicated as one of the coconspirators in an international drug racket with ties to Australia and New Zealand. The situation remains tense as the fallout from the raid and subsequent events continues to unfold. The police’s decision to issue a CSR instead of registering an FIR has raised questions about the handling of the case and the protection of journalists in such situations.
