The police have charge-sheeted three women activists, notably cinema dubbing artiste Bhagyalakshmi, on the charge of assaulting YouTuber Vijay P. Nair over an allegedly derogatory and misogynist comment against women in public sphere.
They indicted Mr. Nair for his “abusive anti-women” comments. The police charged him with Section 509 of the IPC (use of word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and Section 120(O) of the Kerala Police Act (causing, through any means of communication, a nuisance of himself to any person by repeated or undesirable or anonymous call, letter, writing, message, e-mail, or through a messenger).
On Mr. Nair’s statement, the police arraigned the women activists for offences under the IPC Sections 323 (for voluntarily causing hurt), 294(b) (for singing, reciting or uttering any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place), 506 (for criminal intimidation), 392 (for robbery), 452 (house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
The police case was that Mr. Nair had invited the women’s ire by allegedly insinuating that certain women activists lacked morals, especially those working in the entertainment industry.
The activists allegedly barged into Mr.Nair’s hostel room and assaulted him in response. They doused him in black ink and forcibly appropriated his laptop computer. The women later surrendered the computer at the Museum police station. Social activists Diya Sana and Sreelakshmi Arackal were the other accused.
Their dramatic response to Mr. Nair’s suggestive YouTube lectures had caught the public imagination and triggered a gender debate in the State.
A magistrate court has asked the accused to appear on December 22.
