Nesa Prabhu made repeated desperate calls to the police hours before he was brutally attacked
A journalist in Tamil Nadu was brutally attacked last night by a group of unidentified men and is currently battling for his life.
Nesa Prabhu, a television journalist from the state's Tiruppur district, has been reporting on violations and malpractices in the sale of liquor, local journalists have claimed.
The journalist reportedly made repeated desperate calls to the police control room, telling them about being tailed by a group of men on bikes without number plates and seeking their help. However, he was asked to report to the nearest police station and file a complaint.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin condemned the attack and assured stringent action against the perpetrators. He also ordered a police inspector to be put on the waiting list for alleged inaction despite repeated pleas by the journalist before the attack.
Mr Stalin announced an aid of Rs 3 lakh for Mr Prabhu's treatment and in a statement, said, "I am pained. Stringent action will be taken against whoever is responsible for this attack."
According to audio recordings of Mr Prabhu's calls to the police, which NDTV could not independently verify, the journalist, in his multiple desperate calls to the police, sought protection from an unidentified gang that was tailing him on motorbikes without number plates.
Mr Prabhu alleged that the gang had earlier enquired about him at a shop and visited his home in a car when his mother was alone.
In the recordings, Mr Prabhu can be purportedly heard pleading with the police to send a team for his protection, alleging that a group was following him. However, the police asked him to visit the police station in person to file a formal complaint.
The Leader of Opposition in the state, Edappadi Palanisamy, called the attack a "deterioration of law and order in Tamil Nadu" and added, "The police did not act despite the reporter informing them about the fearful situation four hours before the attack."
Journalists in Chennai protested against the police inaction, demanding justice and a law that would protect them.