After a group of women activists dramatically confronted a man over a viral video with derogatory comments against feminists and women in general, the City police on Saturday evening registered a case against him for outraging the modesty of women.
The accused has been identified as Vijay P. Nair, who is from Gandhari Amman Koil in the city.
He had allegedly posted videos in his YouTube channel ‘Vtrix Scene’ with derogatory and abusive comments on dubbing artiste Bhagyalakshmi, activist Bindu Ammini, and others, and also against poet and activist Sugathakumari, whom he referred to only as Kerala’s first Women’s Commission Chairperson.
Bindu Ammini had filed a complaint with the police against him on Saturday morning. In the evening, a group of activists including Ms. Bhagyalakshmi and transgender activist Diya Sana confronted him at his residence near Gandhari Amman Koil Road. During the confrontation, broadcast live through Ms. Sana’s Facebook page, they proceeded to physically assault and pour engine oil on him and seized his laptop and mobile phone. He was later seen apologising to all women he may have voluntarily or involuntarily hurt.
The Museum Police by evening registered a case against him under Section 509 of the IPC pertaining to the use of word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman and Section 120(O) of the Kerala Police Act pertaining to 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.
Another case has been registered in the Thampanoor police station against him under Section 354 of the IPC, pertaining to assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty. Both the cases will be clubbed together and investigated.
According to the Thampanoor CI, the police had gone to his residence soon after the incident in the evening, but he said that he did not have any complaint.
“We had gone to record his statement following the incident, but he said he does not have any complaint. In the evening, Bhagyalakshmi and others brought to the station the laptop and mobile phone he used to post the videos,” said the CI.