Editor of Tamil bi-weekly ‘Nakkeeran, Nakkheeran Gopal, was arrested by the Chennai City Police on Tuesday morning, reportedly on a complaint from Governor Banwarilal Purohit’s office.
Police moved against the editor reportedly for publishing an article against Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit over a “sex scandal” involving an assistant professor.
Police arrested Gopal at the Chennai airport while he was on his way to Pune after Raj Bhavan officials lodged a complaint against the senior journalist.
Gopal was taken into custody around 8.15 am from the Chennai airport when he was travelling to Pune to attend an event, said media reports.
Police officers refused to comment on the nature of the complaint from Raj Bhavan, said reports, but referred to reports in Nakkheeran linking Governor Purohit and his office to a recent university sex scandal.
The police officers were quoted as saying that the reports in publication also cited multiple visits of the main accused in the scandal, Nirmala Devi, an assistant professor of Devanga Arts College in Aruppukottai in Virudhunagar district, to Raj Bhavan.
Nakkheeran had published a cover photo in its current edition of the governor and assistant professor Nirmala Devi who was arrested in April after an audio clip of her purported conversation with girl students went viral on social media in which she is heard asking them to give sexual favours to senior officials of the leading Madurai Kamaraj University for marks and money.
She was also heard claiming in the clip that she has close contact with the governor and senior officials.
Nakkheeran also alleged in its report that Devi, who is under the custody of the crime investigation department’s crime branch, has said she met the governor four times. The governor is the chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University to which the Devanga Arts College is affiliated.
After the alleged role of the Governor and some top officials in his office emerged in the controversy, opposition parties in Tamil Nadu demanded the Governor’s resignation, forcing him to address the media to deny charges against him. Governor Purohit claimed he had never seen the face of the woman and that demanding resignation was the job of the opposition parties.
“I do not know the lady, I have never met the lady. I am surrounded by so many people always and it is not possible for anyone to meet me without my permission,” Purohit told the media in the third week of April.
Gopal has been booked under section 124 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) or on charges of preventing the president and governor from discharging their duties, according to media reports quoting police sources. Other reports mentioned police officers as saying they may charge Gopal under a criminal law for assaulting the Governor.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ’s president MK Stalin condemned the arrest of Gopal. “With the action of arresting Gopal, it is obvious that the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu is a puppet of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) ruling at the Centre. The governor should have the nature to face criticisms. It shows that press freedom is under a threat now,” Stalin said.
Over the years, Tamil Nadu has seen the government filing defamation cases against journalists, publishers and even politicians for their writings and public speeches. During J Jayalalithaa’s rule, more than 200 cases were filed, said reports.