‘We are not spies,’ says French journalist booked by Tamil Nadu Police

In an interview with Scroll.in, one of the two French journalists who was booked by the Tamil Nadu Police last Friday, has said that they are not spies and “did nothing against the law.”

Jules Giraudat and Arthur Bouvart, along with an Indian priest, were booked by booked by the Tamil Nadu Police for allegedly entering a restricted area of the Indian Rare Earths Limited in Manavalakurichi in Kanyakumari district. According to the first information report, the three were booked for criminal trespass under the Indian Penal Code and under Sections 14(A) (penalty for entry in restricted areas), 14(B) (penalty for using forged passport) and 14(C) (penalty for abetment) of the Foreigners Act, 1946.

In the interview, Giraudat, who is the Deputy Editor of Freedom Voices Network team, said that although he, Bouvart, and the priest had gone there to seek permission to enter the place, they left immediately after the director “told us that we cannot come in without permission and asked us to leave.” Nothing else happened.

“We did not get into the area without permission,” said Giraudat. “We are not spies and did nothing against the law. The allegations that we entered the area without anyone’s knowledge and shot videos are false. The two Indian journalists did not come with us and they had nothing to do with this.”

When asked why did they leave the country in a hurry, Giraudat said: that their flight tickets were booked in advance and that they had left accordingly.