Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday said that there was a broad consensus in the state cabinet over enacting a special law to protect journalists from attacks, but added that there should be some arrangement for looking into complaints against scribes too.

The issue of enacting such a law has come to fore again in the wake of murder of senior journalist J Dey in the city last Saturday.

Talking to reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting, Chavan said nobody wants to stop the media from carrying out its legitimate job, but the fourth estate too should be responsible and accountable.

"...there are serious concerns about some of you in the political fraternity, just like you have apprehensions about some bureaucrats and politicians. We need to have an arrangement where complaints against journalists can be heard," the chief minister said.

When pointed out that the code of conduct for journalists figures in the draft bill, Chavan said he had seen the draft, and it had no "enabling provisions".

Chavan said a cabinet sub-committee of five to six senior ministers (the names would be announced shortly) would "go through the draft bill and suggest amendments.

"We plan to introduce the final draft in the monsoon session itself," he added.

To a question on the progress of investigation in the J Dey murder case, Chavan said substantial progress had been made. "Some people would be arrested (soon) and a main breakthrough is expected," he said.

Police said this afternoon that they had detained three suspects in connection with Dey's murder.