A Special Court on February 19 convicted and sentenced actor and BJP functionary S. Ve Shekher to simple imprisonment for one month for sharing a derogatory post on women journalists on his social media page. The court, however, suspended the sentence to enable him to appeal before the High Court within 30 days.
A popular Tamil film actor, Mr. Shekher is a BJP functionary and former AIADMK MLA. On April 19, 2018, he shared a post on his Facebook timeline about women journalists that affected the modesty of the woman journalist and others. The Cyber Crime Wing registered a case based on a complaint by State General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Journalists and Protection Association. The complaint said Mr. Shekher had shared the post as he was annoyed by a remark made by a woman reporter on an act of the then Governor..
The Cyber Crime Wing registered the case under IPC Sections 504 (Intentional insult to provoke breach of the peace), 505(1)(c) (Publishing or circulating statement with intent to incite any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.
Mr. Shekher contended that on April, 19, 2018, he had received a message from one Thirumalai Sa, who generally forwarded patriotic and spiritual messages regularly. He said he had forwarded that message without reading the contents under the bona fide impression that it contained only such a usual message. However, it was later pointed out by his friend that the contents were abusive; he had also felt that it was not acceptable to him and removed it immediately.
Last August, the Supreme Court refused to quash the case. The trial was held before the Additional Special Court for Trial of Cases related to sitting and former MLAs and MPs in Singaravelar Maligai. At the end of trial, the Special Court judge, G. Jayavel, convicted him under Sections 504, 509 of IPC and Section 4 of TN Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act and sentenced him to one month’s simple imprisonment under each section, besides a total fine of ₹15,000. The sentences will run concurrently. The court suspended the sentence following the payment of the fine.
Venkatesh Mahadevan, counsel for Mr. Shekher, said, “We will prefer an appeal seeking stay of this order since the trial court has given 30 days’ time to file the appeal.”
