After a group of activists confronted a man for his video on YouTube, in which he made derogatory remarks against women and feminists, the police in Thiruvananthapuram city on Saturday evening registered a case against him, reported Onmanorama. A video of the confrontation has been widely shared on social media.
The man, Vijay P Nair, had allegedly posted videos on his YouTube channel “Vtrix Scene” that contained abusive comments about dubbing artiste Bhagyalakshmi, activist Bindu Ammini and against poet and activist Sugathakumari.
Ammini lodged a complaint against Nair on Saturday morning. The same day, the activists, including Diya Sana, confronted him at his residence near Gandhari Amman Koil Road in the city. The altercation, which was live streamed on Sana’s Facebook page, showed the women arguing with the man and pouring engine oil on him.
The women also seized his laptop and mobile phone. He was later seen apologising to all women he may have voluntarily or involuntarily hurt by his video. The seized gadgets were taken to the city police commissioner’s office, but the officers there refused to take them.
The Museum Police have registered a case under Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code and a section of the Kerala Police Act, according to The Hindu. The protestors also filed a complaint against Nair with the State Women’s Commission, Cyber Cell, Women and Child Development department and state gender advisor.
Bhagyalakshmi told the media that they chose to take action as the police had not acted on their complaint. Meanwhile, Nair said he had already apologised and did not have any complaint.
One more case has been filed against him at the Thampanoor police station under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC. The two cases will be jointly investigated. Nair’s laptop and mobile phone were submitted at the station.
“We had gone to record his statement following the incident, but he [Nair] said he does not have any complaint,” an unidentified police officer said. “In the evening, Bhagyalakshmi and others brought to the station the laptop and mobile phone he used to post the videos.”
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