The Thiruvananthapuram Cantonment police have filed a POCSO case three individuals linked to the Malayalam news channel Reporter TV over an objectionable video featuring a minor school girl.
The accused include the channel’s consulting editor Arun Kumar K, reporter Shahbaz, and an unidentified individual. The video was part of the channel’s coverage of the recently concluded Kerala State Kalolsavam, the state school arts festival.
It began with Arun teasing Shahbaz, asking, “Did you see that Oppana girl again?” referring to a school girl who performed the traditional dance form at the fest in Thiruvananthapuram. The video was scripted to resemble a movie scene and included a dialogue between Shahbaz and the girl, with the reporter making flirtatious remarks such as, “You look good,” accompanied by a romantic song from the 2012 Malayalam film Ustad Hotel.
The case was registered based on a complaint filed by KV Manoj Kumar, chairperson of the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. On January 10, the commission had sought an explanation from the channel regarding the video. After the backlash, Reporter TV had removed the video from all its platforms.
The accused have been charged under Sections 12 and 11(1) of the POCSO Act, which deal with sexual harassment and making sexually explicit gestures towards children, respectively, and Section 3(5) of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, which pertains to publishing content that objectifies women.
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