Media persons booked for rioting

Police also file FIR against actor based on complaint by journlists

On guard: Police personnel outside S.Ve. Shekher’s residence in Chennai on Saturday.

Thirty persons belonging to different media groups in the city were booked by the police for rioting and hurling stones on the residence of actor-politician S.Ve. Shekar.

On Thursday, actor-turned-politician S.Ve. Shekher drew flak from the city journalists after he shared a Facebook post containing derogatory remarks about women journalists. He later deleted the post and tendered an apology, saying he had forwarded a friend’s post “without reading the content” and had done so by mistake. However, on Friday, a section of media persons comprising news readers, reporters and technicians of television channels and some publications trooped towards the house of Mr. Shekher in Mylapore.

The protest took a violent turn after media persons who were initially raising slogans against him began pelting stones and chappals on his house. The group also damaged posters of Mr. Shekher and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that were displayed at his house, and some glass windows.

Though the police arrested the journalists and detained them in a community welfare hall, they were released later.

Following a complaint from Mr. Shekher, the Foreshore Estate Police booked cases against 30 persons for offences under sections 147 (Rioting), 148 (Rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 323 (Voluntarily causing hurt), 336 (Doing any act which endangers human life or the personal safety of others) and 506(i) (Criminal Intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) and Section 3(Punishment for committing mischief in respect of any public property) of the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992.

Meanwhile, the Central Crime Branch on Saturday booked a case against Mr. Shekher based on a complaint given by Tamilnadu Pathirikaialargal Padhukappu Nala Sangam.

The police opened an FIR against Mr. Shekher for offences under sections 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 505(b) (false statement or rumour with intent to create enmity, hatred or ill will between different groups) and 509 (Uttering any word or gesture intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC and Section 4(Harassment of women) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998.