Sun TV news editor summoned for enquiry by police

Police summoned the news editor of the Maran-owned Sun TV, Raja, for an enquiry in connection with a complaint filed by a leading Tamil daily Dinamalar, accusing the channel of resorting to "provocative" coverage.

Raja was summoned for an enquiry last night, a senior police official told PTI.

The daily had filed a complaint with the state government on Tuesday, alleging that a cartoon of Prophet Mohammed carried out by the paper's Vellore edition recently was "misrepresented" by the TV channel.

A number of Muslim outfits staged violent demonstrations in front of the newspaper's Vellore office last week. Some protest demonstrations were also held near the newspaper's office in Chennai. The daily subsequently issued an apology for publishing the cartoon.

The daily's complaint has been referred to the Central Crime Branch of the city police which registered case under Sections 153 (provocation with an intent to cause riots) and 503 (criminal intimidation), they said.

Sun TV is part of the Sun Network, owned by Kalanidhi and Dayanidhi Maran, the estranged grandnephews of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.