KOCHI: It was just another day of protests at the Kanayannur taluk office. All the ingredients for a protest were ready. The protesters against pension age revision, truckloads of police personnel, media, flags and sloganeering were all in place. When the protesters charged forward, the police used high-pressure water jet to stop them.But lo and behold!, the water pump ignored the protesters and shot straight at the bewildered media personnel.The jet was turned off at once. It was again charged but this time it flooded out the Assistant Commissioner of Police, throwing him off balance.The water cannon damaged cameras, some of which cost over Rs 2 lakh. "Our camera has stopped working. Only after a week we will know whether it can be used again,” said a cameraman.The cameras of Indiavision, Jeevan TV, ACV, Jai Hind and Amrita T V and those of leading newspapers also suffered damage as they were drenched in water. “This is becoming a regular affair. Only a couple of days back something similar had happened in Thiruvanathapuram and no action has yet been taken,” said a mediaperson.Assistant Commissioner Sunil Jacob, who suffered minor injuries, has lodged a complaint with the City Police Commissioner.Press persons have also lodged a complaint. “It was not a deliberate action. Police men lack training to handle the water pumps. Pumping has to be done precisely, and a deviation of a few degrees itself is enough to cause trouble,” said T Gopalakrishna Pillai, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Traffic.
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