Admitting that there is no basis for arraigning the directors of Tamil bi-weekly Junior Vikatan and others in a First Information Report (FIR) registered on a complaint given by a real estate firm, Greater Chennai Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal said their names would be dropped.
However, the police have found evidence of certain transactions between some staff of the magazine and prime accused Kevin who was arrested on claims of blackmailing the firm. A probe is on to ascertain if these transactions were related to the alleged blackmailing episode, he said in a late-night statement on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, journalists in Chennai protested the arbitrary manner in which the directors and editorial staff of Junior Vikatan were included as accused in the FIR registered by the Mylapore police on Sunday night.
The firm had alleged Kevin, claiming proximity to the magazine and persons active on social media, had demanded ₹50 lakh bribe and that defamatory reports would be published against the real estate company if it failed to pay the sum.
The Commissioner said there was no basis for the allegations against the directors of the magazine and others (Maridhas and ‘Savukku’ Shankar) and hence steps would be taken to remove their names from the FIR.
Meanwhile, Additional Commissioner of Police, South, N. Kannan was shifted from his post and Inspector General of Police, North Zone, Prem Anand Sinha, was posted in the former’s place.
