Reference against dailies in police report:Ker CM orders probe

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today asked the state Chief Secretary to hold an inquiry into certain adverse references against three leading Malayalam dailies in a report submitted by police on alleged leak of information on inter-state water issues to Tamil Nadu Government by an official from the neighbouring state.
Chandy issued the orders on the basis of a joint letter given to him by Malayala Manorama Managing Editor Philip Mathew, Mathrubhumi Managing Editor P V Chandran and Kerala Kaumudi Managing Director M S Ravi yesterday.
According to a CM's office release, the Chief Secretary E K Bharath Bhushan has been asked to probe the issue and subit a report within three days.

The issue pertained to references in the report submitted by intelligence wing of the state police to the government last week, which claimed that a Tamil Nadu official camping in Kerala capital had been securing vital information regarding the state's position on inter-state water issues.
Following this, a section of the local press had reported that some reporters working in three leading Malayalam dailies had run stories supporting the neighbouring state receiving benefits from the official concerned.
In their joint letter, the editors wanted the government to probe how such defaming allegations against their dailies had crept into the intelligence report.

Such adverse remarks without being supported by any evidence could be seen only as a threat to independent journalism, they said.
Chandy had a few days ago refuted the charge of leak of information and said intelligence reports should be taken only as an intimation to government to act with greater vigilance.