Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod (SP)

Kasargod, Mar 22: Unknown miscreants sprinkled kerosene in the office of a Malayalam evening newspaper, ‘Karaval’ located in Vidyanagar Industrial Estate of the town in the wee hours on Sunday March 21. The loss suffered by the office and printing press of the publication in the incident, is estimated at several lacs of rupees.

Computers, monitors, fax machine, intercom, printer, telephone instruments, files, electrical fittings including fans, tube lights, furniture etc., were gutted in the fire.

Those who started the fire had sprinkled petrol into the building by breaking open the glass of the front window. It is also seen that the miscreants had tried to start the fire by slipping in burning paper through the window of the dining room, and a match box used by them was found lying near the window. Some people who saw fire raging in the building, called the editor of the daily. The workers of a nearby furniture shop helped the fire brigade in dousing the fire.

In a complaint filed with the policemen, it has been pointed out that an organization had led protests in Chattanchal and Kasargod recently, against a report published by this newspaper a week back. This organization had also threatened to torch the office of the publication, the editor said in his complaint. On Sunday, pressmen took out a protest rally in the town, condemning the incident.