By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Bengaluru: After spending four months in the Mangalore district prison, Kasturi Newz 24 reporter Naveen Soorinje was released on Saturday March 23 at 5.30 pm.
Soorinje was arrested on dubious grounds on November 7, last year, in connection to the 2012 Mangalore ‘Homestay attack’ case, where vigilantes belonging to the ‘Hindu Jagarana Vedike’ attacked youths at a birthday party in Mangalore, Karnataka.
Soorinje with his cameraman had shot the entire episode of Hindutva activists beating up girls and boys who had gathered at a house to celebrate their friend’s birthday. The youths were molested and stripped for not adhering to their definition of ‘Indian culture’. In an interview given to The Hindu, the TV reporter describing the event had said, “What we saw through own eyes and chose not to shoot, was nothing short of rape.”
But instead of praising his work in exposing the horrible act, the court charged him with abetting the attack; he was named the orchestrator of the incident and was jailed along with 28 ‘Hindu Jagarana Vedike’ activists.
His arrest drew a storm of criticism from journalists and human rights activists from across the country and even beyond. In January of this year, a three-day hunger strike was also organized seeking his release.
His release comes five days after the high court granted him bail on March 18.