A reporter and a cameraperson from the news channel Republic TV, and a boat driver were arrested on Saturday for allegedly entering a restricted high-security zone near the port in Kochi to film an Iranian naval vessel, Onmanorama reported.
The arrests came days after the Iranian ship IRIS Lavan docked in Kochi on Wednesday. The vessel had arrived at the port a day after the United States sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka, amid the escalating conflict in West Asia.
Police said that the three persons had used a rented boat to trespass into the Southern Coal Berth where they took photos and videos of the Iran-owned ship and attempted to share them in a manner that could threaten national security, Onmanorama reported.
Security personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force noticed the boat in the restricted zone and detained the three, Mathrubhumi reported.
The three persons identified as Republic TV reporter Shankar, cameraperson Mani and the boat driver, Radhakrishnan, were later handed over to the Harbour Police in Kochi, the news outlet reported.
The cameras used by the journalists were also seized.
The first information report uploaded by the Harbour Police on Pol-App, the official Kerala Police application, said that the three persons were booked under provisions of the Official Secrets Act related to spying in prohibited places and the wrongful communication of information, Onmanorama reported.
They were also charged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to criminal trespass and acts committed with common intention, the news outlet reported.
The police later removed the FIR from the application, Onmanorama reported.
Kochi City Deputy Commissioner of Police Aswathy Jiji told the news outlet that the document had been accidentally published and was taken down due to the sensitive nature of the case.
Iranian ship IRIS Lavan in India
IRIS Lavan docked in Kochi on Wednesday after Iran requested approval from the Indian government on February 28 due to technical problems with the vessel. Approval for the docking had been granted on March 1.
The ship’s 183 crew members have been accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi.
Like the warship attacked by the US, IRIS Lavan had also taken part in the International Fleet Review held from February 15 to February 25 in Vishakhapatnam, where it had been docked alongside ships from several other countries.
Israel and the United States had launched a joint operation to “degrade the capabilities” of the Iranian government on February 28.
Israel has been claiming that Iran is close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, while Tehran has maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.
Iran retaliated by striking Israel and US military bases in the region, and targeting major cities in other Gulf countries and some ships.
On Tuesday, warship IRIS Dena, with a capacity of 180 crew members, was torpedoed by a US submarine in international waters. At least 87 persons died in the incident and 61 were missing. The Sri Lankan Navy had rescued 32.
The US Department of War confirmed the attack on Wednesday. Hours later, the department released footage showing the torpedo hitting the Iranian frigate, resulting in an explosion.
On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that the warship that was struck was “a guest of India’s Navy” and had been attacked without warning. He said that the US would “come to bitterly regret [the] precedent it has set”.
New Delhi has not yet commented on the incident.
Also Read: ‘Unwarranted sensationalism’: Centre suspends TRP ratings for news channels amid West Asia conflict
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