In a shocking incident, News 7 Tamil journalist Nesaprabhu was attacked on the night of Wednesday, 24 January, by unidentified assailants in the Palladam area of Tirruppur district of Tamil Nadu. Notably, the attack took place when he was on a call with police asking for help, the recording of which has emerged on social media. According to the call recording of Nesaprabhu’s conversation with the police, a police officer refused to reach the place to help him and instead asked him to come to the police station and lodge a complaint.
The journalist was severely injured in the attack and is currently undergoing medical treatment at a private hospital in Coimbatore. Reports say that the attack on Nesaprabhu was in response to his recent reportage exposing the alleged irregularities in the sale of liquor in Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation outlets operating in Tiruppur. Moreover, he also reported about an inspector allegedly demanding bribes and threatening a trader.
டாஸ்மாக் ஊழல்,போலீஸ் லஞ்சம் பற்றி வெளி கொண்டு வந்த நியூஸ்7 செய்தியாளர் "தன்னை யாரோ நோட்டமிடுவதாக" புகார் செய்து காவல்துறை கண்டு கொள்ளாததால் கொடூர தாக்குதலுக்கு உள்ளாகியுள்ளார்
— Sanghi Prince🚩 (@SanghiPrince) January 25, 2024
ஆனா பாருங்க இந்த பத்திரிக்க பைத்தியக்காரனுங்க காவல்துறைய எதிர்க்காம அண்ணனுக்கு எதிரா போராடுவானுங்க🤧 pic.twitter.com/V0bU8uXJWc
An unsettling phone conversation between the journalist and a police officer in which he pleads for protection from the assailants who were following him has sent shockwaves across the state raising questions over the security of media persons. Towards the close of the phone call, Nesaprabhu tells the policeman in a panic that several people in cars have surrounded him and started attacking him.
Shocking audio of Nesaprabhu on the phone with the local cops just minutes before the attack.
— Shabbir Ahmed (@Ahmedshabbir20) January 25, 2024
Nesaprabhu is asking the police to come & save him. The police says will take this issue to the knowledge of the inspector.
By then he is surrounded by 5 cars and attacked. https://t.co/vsuyZN6gcq pic.twitter.com/CpFw35TtOV
The attackers surrounded and attacked Nesaprabhu while he was on the phone with the police, desperately asking for assistance. Earlier, the cops had failed to respond to several of his calls for protection. Nesaprabhu had made several calls to the local police station since Wednesday afternoon, after seeing that unidentified persons were trailing him and watching his home in Palladam.
According to an IndiaToday report, Nesaprabhu told the police that the assailants had been driving a vehicle without a number plate. As per the call recordings, one of the cops had asked Nesaprabhu to take note of the vehicle’s colour, thereby assuring him that “there would be no problem.” When Nesaprabhu called for the fourth time, the police told him they were busy attending a case in Karadivayal village. Nesaprabhu’s repeated calls for help and to identify the persons chasing him by analysing CCTV footage made no difference to the police and they instead assured that they would “look into the matter.”
Nesaprabhu reached out to the Police Control Room for help, which subsequently informed the local Kamanaickenpalayam police about the matter. However, instead of rushing to protect the journalist, the police reportedly asked Nesaprabhu to visit the police station in person and lodge a written complaint.
When Nesaprabhu stepped out of his home and drove to a public area, the assailants followed him. The men assaulted him with machetes and knives near a petrol pump while he pleaded with a police officer for help over the phone. The News 7 Tamil reporter suffered severe wounds to his left hand, as well as cuts to his head, chest, and leg.
The locals present at the spot informed the Kamanayakkan Palayam Police Station about the assault. The police then arrived on the scene, rescued Nesaprabhu, who was lying in a pool of blood and took him to Palladam Hospital. Following that, he was sent to a critical care unit at a private hospital in Coimbatore for further treatment.
Later, District Superintendent of Police P Saminathan investigated the crime scene. The police have obtained the videos from the petrol station’s CCTV cameras, and an investigation is ongoing.
In addition to condemning the violent attack on its reporter, News7 also demanded action against the police for alleged negligence. The media outlet reported citing SP Saminathan that four special forces have been formed to probe the matter.
Meanwhile, journalists across the state have condemned the brutal attack on Nesaprabhu. A protest was held by reporters in Gudiyatham, Vellore. Meanwhile, the Chennai Press Club and Chennai Journalists Union have condemned the violent attack and demanded an investigation.
Reporters from Gudiyatham in Vellore protested against the violent attack on #News7Tamil TV reporter Nesaprabhu in Tiruppur. pic.twitter.com/OZvfzdwyom
— Rajalakshmi sampath (@Rajalakshmi2398) January 25, 2024
Taking to X, the State President of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) K Annamalai, condemned the attack on the News 7 journalist in strong words and also raised questions over the situation of law and order under the Dravida Munetra Kazhagham (DMK) government.
“…I was shocked to hear the news that anti-social elements have tried to hack him to death. I pray to God that brother Nesaprabhu, who is undergoing treatment in the hospital, will get well soon. Such crimes have become a daily routine in Tamil Nadu. The hands of the police are completely tied by the DMK government. Law and order has broken down and there is no security for the public. But the media does not question the government’s mistakes or the law and order-disorder but tries to silence those who ask questions,” Annamalai posted.
திருப்பூர் பகுதி @news7tamil செய்தியாளர் சகோதரர் திரு நேசபிரபு அவர்களை, சமூக விரோதிகள் வெட்டிக் கொலை செய்ய முயற்சித்துள்ள செய்தியறிந்து, மிகுந்த அதிர்ச்சி அடைந்தேன். மருத்துவமனையில் சிகிச்சை பெற்று வரும் சகோதரர் நேசபிரபு, விரைவில் பூரண குணமடைய வேண்டும் என்று இறைவனை வேண்டிக்…
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) January 25, 2024
“Senior journalists do not like to question authority or point out mistakes. All are implicitly forced to conform to authority as some honest journalists are also attacked by anti-social elements. Those who have the opportunity to question power do not use it for the people. Law and order has been a total failure in the DMK government. The media should be open about this. The failures of the DMK government cannot be kept hidden for a long time and cannot be peafowled. The media should realize that this is a life safety issue for all citizens in Tamil Nadu,” the BJP leader continued.
Sharing the call recording of the victim Nesaprabhu’s conversation with the police, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami slammed CM MK Stalin on X.
“Today’s murderous attack on a journalist is the result of my constant pointing out that there is already an unsafe situation for the public in Tamil Nadu due to law and order disorders, but no action was taken. I pray to the almighty God for the speedy recovery of the injured journalist Nesaprabhu and to return home, to provide him with appropriate medical treatment for his recovery, and to immediately arrest those involved in the murderous attack and take strict action and ensure the environment for journalists to work freely,” he said.
திருப்பூர் மாவட்டம் பல்லடத்தில் செய்தியாளர் நேசபிரபு கொடூரமான முறையில் தாக்கப்பட்டுள்ள சம்பவம் அதிர்ச்சியளிக்கிறது.
— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@EPSTamilNadu) January 25, 2024
மர்ம நபர்கள் தன்னை தாக்குவதற்கான அச்சமான சூழ்நிலை நிலவுவதாக நேசபிரபு தொடர்ச்சியாக காவல்துறையிடம் முறையிட்டும், தாக்குதலுக்கு 4 மணிநேரங்களுக்கு முன்பே தெரிவித்தும்… pic.twitter.com/zIfxpLH2zd
“Also, I urge this government’s puppet Chief Minister, who has been destabilising law and order since the day he came to power, who claims to have the police in his hands, to wake up from his slumber and take appropriate measures to prevent such incidents from happening again,” Palaniswami added.
