Will continue to sing, fight: S Kovan

Folk singer S. Kovan (centre), arrested on charges that include sedition, is taken to a police vehicle after he was produced before a court in Chennai on Wednesday. (Photo: AP)

Folk singer Kovan arrested on charges of sedition, on Wednesday said he would continue singing against state-run liquor shops. Kovan was produced before the chief metropolitan magistrate court for hearing his bail petition. Kovan was arrested last week by Chennai cyber sleuths from his house in Tiruchy. Stating that state-run Tasmac (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) liquor shops were destroying families, he noted that those who were affected by the evil of liquor, would express much more than what he had expressed. “I will continue to fight and will continue to sing,” he told reporters. International human rights organisations, Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch have strongly criticised the police action of arresting Kovan, a member of Makkal Kalai Ilakkiya Kazhagam,. Police action came after his songs against liquor in vinavu. com went viral on social media. Apart from booking him for under section 124-A (IPC) ( Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law) Kovan was booked under IPC 153 and 505 (1). Section 153 deals with ‘promoting enmity between different groups’ while 505 (1) is about publishing and circulating statement with an intent to cause fear or alarm to any section of public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against public tranquility. Hearing on bail petition and police custody has been posted for Thursday.

Cops flex muscles at scribes

In an attempt to intimidate journalists reporting the case of Kovan, Chennai police personnel not only allegedly manhandled journalists gathered at the CMM court in Chennai on Wednesday, but a member of anti-gangster team literally flexed his muscles at scribes. Kovan was brought to the court through second entrance to make sure he interacted less with the media. Reporters said the police stopped them from entering the court and a policewoman dragged out woman reporters from inside the court. One of the members of the Anti Gangster Squad of CCB also reportedly flexed his muscles and tried to intimidate a journalist from entering the court, asking the journalist if he wanted trouble. Policemen closed the gates outside the court, preventing journalists from entering. Only after protest they were allowed to enter the premises.