Police on Sunday arrested B V Seetaram, the director and chairman of Chitra Publications Pvt Ltd which publishes Karavali Ale and Canara Times, on charges of defamation.

Seetaram was travelling to Kundapur from Kateel (in Dakshina Kannada district) when about 5-6 police vans stopped him at Karkala in Udupi district.

"Nearly 25 policemen surrounded me. They told me that they were arresting me in connection with a defamation case filed a couple of years ago. When I demanded an arrest warrant, they sent a policeman to the Shirva police station to get it."

Seetaram, who was with his wife, said the case had earlier been dealt with by a Sessions Court. It had then been found that his name and designation were not properly written. "They are arresting me in the same case now," Seetaram said.

Harassment alleged

"They only want to harass and humiliate me. I'm made to appear as though I'm a habitual offender," he added.
Santhosh Kumar, deputy superintendent of police, Karkala sub-division,u00a0 said that Seetaram was being arrested in connection with an old case registered at a police station in Shirva village in Udupi district.

"We will produce Seetaram before the first class judicial magistrate in Udupi," he said.u00a0

Non-bailable warrant

A R Infant, additional director-general of police (law and order) said A M Prasad, inspector-general of police, (western range) would look into the matter.
According to him, there was a non-bailable warrant pending against Seetaram.