Kochi: Mangalam Television's CEO and others accused in the honey-trap case on Monday moved Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail. The state government submitted before the court that it cannot give an undertaking that they won't arrest them. Though the petitioners sought a directive to the police not to arrest them, the court said it could only record the submission of the prosecution and adjourned the hearing to Thursday. The police had sent a notice to the petitioners asking them to appear before the investigating officer, but they failed to comply with it. The court issued the order while considering the petitions filed by Sajan Varghese, chairman of the channel, R. Ajith Kumar, chief executive officer and seven others.
"The channel took a decision to interact with popular persons in the society and accordingly members of the staff were deputed. One of them, a lady staffer, had met the then transport minister A. K. Saseendran and later on several times," the petition says. "After one or two occasions it was noticed that the minister was behaving in an odd, strange and impermissible manner with the lady. This was reported to the management, which advised her to continue to contact him to get a correct assessment of the situation. Accordingly, on one or two occasions she contacted the minister and had talked with him. Thereafter the minister started contacting the lady even at night at 2.30 am."
It was ensured before the telecast of the conversation that it was true and the voice was that of the minister, the plea said. Mr Kumar submitted that he is associated with managerial function and he has not participated in the telecast. The registration of the crime is entirely for political consideration and not in public interest. Meanwhile, the special investigation team probing the case on Monday conducted further search at the channel office and seized computer containing the audio file of the minister's conversation. The police team is also learnt to have quizzed the chief executive officer and others accused. Though the police team asked the accused to appear before the team, the accused had sought more time.
