Chandy orders probe into report accusing media

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Friday ordered a probe into an intelligence report that accused the media of favouring Tamil Nadu on water sharing.

Chandy asked chief secretary E.K. Bharat Bhushan to submit a report in three days on the Kerala Police intelligence report that accuses a a section of the media of stories favouring Tamil Nadu on the water sharing dispute between the two states.

A statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said the decision to initiate a probe came after managing director of newspapers 'Kerala Kaumudi' M.S. Ravi, managing editor of 'Malayala Manorama' Philip Mathew and managing editor of 'Mathrubhumi' P.V. Chandran wrote to Chandy demanding a probe into the intelligence report.

Last week, the media in Kerala had reported that the intelligence wing of Kerala Police claimed that a Malayalee, Unni Krishnan from this city, was "spying" for the Tamil Nadu government on inter-state water issues.

Police had said that Krishnan works for the Tamil Nadu government and had been passing on contents of Kerala government files dealing with water sharing between the two states.

A TV channel, quoting from the intelligence report, said that some journalists have close links with Unni Krishnan.

Earlier this week, Chandy rubbished media reports that a Tamil Nadu government employee was a spy in the state secretariat and had been passing on vital documents on the water sharing dispute between the two states.