A couple of journalists reporting on the lengthy queue of ex-servicemen at the army canteen in Madikeri were allegedly roughed up by the authorities on Friday.
The journalists were pushed and shoved aside by a policeman on duty while another looked on. The mobile from which the scene was being recorded, by a woman journalist, was snatched and the journalists pushed out of the venue.
Sources said that there was a long queue, nearby 1 km long, and hundreds of ex-servicemen were awaiting their turn to make purchases from the army canteen. The rush was attributed to the small window for purchase (from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.). It is said that many had been in queue since the crack of dawn.
Sources said this could have been avoided had the authorities in charge of the canteen issued tokens and mentioned a timing, based on which the potential customers could get to the store without creating a gathering.
The Kodagu District Journalists’ Association and the local press club members have condemned the incident. A police complaint has been lodged to identify and nab the person who manhandled the woman journalist.
