Mathan

Journalist

Tamil Nadu

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on June 15 regarding the intimidation, threat, harassment, illegal detention and false case registered on journalist Mr. Mathan Kumar who had gone to police station to help his friend retrieve his impounded vehicle. Mr. Kumar is a Chennai-based journalist with The Times of India.

On April 19, 2017, Mr. Kumar had gone to the Mylapore Police Station to help his friend, Mr. Vignesh, whose vehicle was impounded the previous night by the police. Sub-Inspector Mr. Alex, who was on duty, snatched Mr. Kumar's identity card without listening to his explanations. Mr. Alex read out the name and address from the ID card to another policeman urging him to register a false case against the journalist and his friend Mr. Vignesh. Mr. Alex also pulled the journalist by his shirt collar and detained him till evening.