MALAPPURAM: Police on Friday arrested two RSS workers in connection with Thursday's attack on mediapersons inside Press Club in Malappuram. The accused were identified as Nadakkalakandi Dileep Kumar, 31, and Kallingathodi Shibu, 30, both from Cheruvayur in Vazhakkad. The police team led by Malappuram Inspector A. Premjith picked them from their houses in the wee hours on Friday. Both Kumar and Shibu were identified from the visuals of the incident collected by the police.
Eight others who were among the gang which barged in to the Press Club and assaulted two journalists are on the run. Both the arrested were produced before Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Malappuram on Friday evening and remanded in custody.
The police has registered case against 10 RSS activists who chased and thrashed Chandrika daily photographer Fuad Saneen and reporter Shahbas Vellila inside Press Club. Mr Saneen's phone had also been snatched by the attackers. The police has collected CCTV visuals from nearby shops.
The incident took place when the RSS workers were provoked as Saneen took visuals of a two wheeler rider being attacked during a protest march by the RSS on Thursday. Condemning the assault on the journalists, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a Facebook post that the government would look into the incident seriously and stringent action will be taken against those who try to muzzle the freedom of the press.
