Conflict between Derana - Sirasa over land issue

Conflict between Derana -- Sirasa over land issue 

Those from Sirasa barged into office -- Derana

Those of Derana have cordoned our people -- Sirasa

A crowd of media personnel belonging to the

Sirasa media network had approached the Derana office premises to query about a misleading piece of news that had been published about the ownership of a land situated in the Echelon Square area opposite Colombo Fort World trade Center and had ended up getting involved in a problematic situation. Though the Urban Development Authority had admitted in the presence of the police that with legal mediation of an attorney-at-law that the genuine ownership belongs to Capitol Maharaja which Derana had reported as being inaccurate, quoting the Urban Development Authority. The Sirasa media group had gone there to query why this contradictory news was published by Derana. Derana News and News First have published two separate items of news regarding this incident. Those news items are as follows.

This is how Derana News had explained the incident: 

                                                          Currently a tensed situation has arisen as a result of a group calling themselves media personnel from Capitol Maharaja Organisation had intruded Derana Media office and had begun to capture on film without permission. This commotion had taken taken place because they had created a conflicting situation with some members of the staff of Derana who had questioned them as to why they had wanted to engage in a filming activity after entering the premises concerned, by force. The media officials had informed the police about this incident. Whatever it is, though news was published that their media personnel were retained by force by the media purported to be from Capitol Maharaja Organisation, it was found to be false.

By now the police have intervened and brought the tense situation to a settlement and those assumed to be the relevant media personnel have been taken into police custody. Just as much as engaging in filming after barging into a media establishment by force is contradictory to accepted media ethics, it is also a violation of the law and we treat this incident with utmost aversion as TV Derana, including it's media network.

This is how News First explained the incident:

                                                   Already some members of the staff of Derana Channel have resorted to imprisoning a group of News First media personnel. Our media people approached the Derana Channel premises this afternoon with the purpose of obtaining their response pertaining to a certain news item. Our objective was to allow a justified opportunity for the Derana Channel regarding it. However, the Derana staff have cordoned our media people by now and have even grabbed the camera equipment of the News First group.