The Madras High Court on Thursday denied anticipatory bail to actor-turned-politician S.Ve. Shekher for having shared a Facebook post containing derogatory remarks about women journalists. It observed that a message forwarded on social media amounted to accepting and endorsing it,
Justice S. Ramathilagam said: “What is said is important but who has said it is very important in a society because people respect persons for the social status. When a celebrity forwards a message like this, the common people will start to believe it.
“This would send a wrong message to the society at a time when we are talking about women empowerment. The language and words used [in the Facebook post] are not indirect but a direct abusive foul language which is not expected from a person of his calibre and age.”
The judge said Mr. Shekher, instead of being a role model to his followers, had set a wrong precedent. “Daily we see young emotional boys getting arrested for doing these type of activities in the social media. Law is the same for everyone and people should not lose faith in the judiciary.Mistakes and crimes are not same. Only children can make mistakes which can be pardoned. If the same is done by elderly people, it becomes an offence.”
The Facebook post had used harsh words portraying all working women in bad light, the judge added.
