SC protects Kerala journo booked for defamation of politician on YT video

Taking note of the submissions, the bench said in the event of arrest, the journalist will be released on bail by the trial court upon on a bond and sureties as directed by the judge
Press Trust of India New Delhi
The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to a Kerala-based journalist booked by the police for allegedly publishing a defamatory video against a prominent woman politician on his YouTube channel "Crime Online".
A bench comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and Prasanna B Varale issued notice to the Kerala government and the station house officer of the police station concerned on the anticipatory bail plea of journalist Nandakumar TP.
Taking note of the submissions, the bench said in the event of arrest, the journalist will be released on bail by the trial court upon on a bond and sureties as directed by the judge.
It also directed the journalist to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
An FIR was lodged against the journalist under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for offences of outraging a woman's modesty, intimidation and intent to cause reputational harm, and dissemination of obscene content electronically.
He was also booked under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act which penalises publication or transmission of obscene material in electronic form.
The state police alleged a YouTube video posted by Nandakumar contained derogatory, sexually coloured, and threatening remarks aimed at humiliating and tarnishing the reputation of the woman leader.
The Kerala High Court on June 9 declined to grant Nandakumar anticipatory bail and directed him to surrender before the police.
The high court order was challenged in the top court, which posted the plea after six weeks.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Hans India

13 minutes ago

• Hans India

Deadly Suicide Attack Strikes Damascus Church, Killing 20 Worshippers

A devastating suicide bombing rocked the Mar Elias Church in Damascus's Dweila district on Sunday, June 22, claiming the lives of at least 20 worshippers and leaving dozens more wounded during evening prayers. The tragic incident unfolded when an extremist entered the religious facility and opened fire on congregants before detonating an explosive vest, according to Syria's Interior Ministry. The attack occurred as faithful gathered for their regular worship service in the neighborhood located on Damascus's periphery. Health Ministry officials, as reported by state news agency SANA, confirmed that a minimum of 15 individuals sustained injuries in the blast. However, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights suggested the total casualty count could reach 30 people, though they did not provide specific breakdowns. Local media outlets indicated that children were among those harmed in the assault. This marks the first incident of its kind to occur in Syria in several years, coming at a particularly sensitive time as Damascus operates under de facto Islamist governance while attempting to secure minority community support. The new leadership under President Ahmad al-Sharaa faces ongoing challenges in establishing control throughout the nation, with growing concerns about dormant extremist cell activities in the conflict-ravaged country. An eyewitness named Rawad provided testimony to The Associated Press, describing how he observed the perpetrator approaching the church alongside two accomplices who subsequently fled the scene. "He was shooting at the church, then went inside the church and blew himself up," the witness recounted while driving near the location during the attack. While no organization has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing, Syrian authorities have attributed the assault to an Islamic State affiliate. The Interior Ministry's statement detailed how the attacker fired upon worshippers before triggering the explosive device, corroborating several eyewitness accounts. Emergency responders and security personnel quickly arrived at the scene, where they encountered panicked survivors in distress. Heart-wrenching images emerged showing distraught individuals, including one woman who collapsed in grief. State media photographs revealed the church's interior covered in debris and bloodstains, with pews damaged from the explosion's impact. Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa strongly denounced the incident, characterizing it as a terrorist act that contradicts the values uniting Syrian society. In a social media statement on X platform, he emphasized the government's unwavering commitment to equal citizenship rights and pledged comprehensive efforts to combat criminal organizations while protecting civilian safety. The attack raises significant concerns about security stability in Syria as the country continues navigating its post-conflict transition period under new leadership attempting to reassure diverse religious communities about their safety and protection.

Time of India

21 minutes ago

• Time of India

Turning 80, UN faces fresh storm of doubts

Turning 80, UN faces fresh storm of doubts United Nations : With its influence discredited and its budget in tatters, the United Nations is weathering a firestorm of criticism as it celebrates its 80th anniversary -- and tries to convince a polarized and conflict-wracked world it is more vital than ever. The UN's 193 member states will mark Thursday the signing of the organization's foundational treaty, the UN Charter, on June 26, 1945 in San Francisco. After ratification, the United Nations came into being on October 24. The anniversary comes as the world body faces a multi-faceted crisis that has raised questions about its future. "Since the end of the Cold War, we have seen the organization struggle in cases from the Rwandan genocide to the Iraq war," Richard Gowan, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, told AFP. "When each big crisis comes, commentators announce that the UN is finished. And yet it still survives," he added. "That said, this is an especially bad moment," Gowan acknowledged, pointing to numerous countries that are "deeply frustrated" by the UN Security Council 's failure to act on major conflicts like those in Ukraine and Gaza. That inaction is largely due to the veto power of the council's five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- which have competing interests. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Undo "The UN system as a whole has a credibility crisis, and it is not clear that the organization's members have the resources or political energy to rescue it," Gowan told AFP. F or Romuald Sciora, a research fellow at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, the credibility issue can only result in the virtual disappearance of an organization that is already a political "dwarf" on the world stage. "I'm not sure the UN will cease to exist, even by its 100th anniversary," Sciora told AFP. "I see a slow vanishing, and the UN becoming a bit of a ghost," like "these old organizations whose names we have forgotten." But experts say while the UN desperately needs to enact tough reforms, not all of its problems come from within, and it has become an easy scapegoat for its divided membership. 'Worse' without UN Gissou Nia of the Washington-based Atlantic Council think tank says she fears that "the approach of might is right... is what is taking hold, and it brings us further and further away from the ideals" that led to the UN's founding as World War II ended. Nia, a human rights lawyer, says she hopes enough people will remain committed to the set of ideals and values "that will keep the UN alive," but still worries about the constant questioning of those values, notably from US ally Israel. "The constant berating from some very loud voices about the UN either being anti-Semitic, or the UN being a waste of funding, or the UN propping up dictators, actually has an impact," Nia told AFP. In a world devastated by the largest number of ongoing conflicts since 1945, and ravaged by major humanitarian crises, "the United Nations has never been more needed," Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said recently. "Our values have never been more relevant. And the needs have never been greater." Funding has nevertheless grown scarce as donors -- especially the United States under President Donald Trump -- pull back. Given the financial constraints, Guterres launched the UN80 initiative in a bid to streamline operations. Those changes could include thousands of positions being cut. For Gowan, "the UN is a very big organization, and of course it suffers from a variety of bureaucratic problems, just as almost all big organizations do. So of course it deserves scrutiny and criticism." But, he added, "I think we have gotten a bit too accustomed to having this system at our service, and tend to spend too much time grumbling about its flaws and not enough time acknowledging its successes." The United Nations remains a place where arch-rivals and enemies still sit at the same table to air grievances, and where the smallest member state can have its voice heard. The UN also does important work on the ground, from the World Food Programme bringing needed supplies to more than 100 million people in 120 countries last year, to the thousands of peacekeepers protecting civilians in conflict zones. "The UN was a magnificent tool," Sciora said. "Obviously, it would be worse if it were to disappear from one day to the next."

India Gazette

an hour ago

• India Gazette

Delhi aims for a drug-free city by 2027

New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): The Special Crime Branch of Delhi Police, led by Special CP Devesh Chandra Srivastava, is working towards making Delhi drug-free by 2027, as envisioned by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. Srivastava emphasised that the fight against drug abuse requires a collaborative effort from the public, education, health, and drug control departments, and law enforcement agencies. The Delhi government's initiative to make the city drug-free by 2027 is a significant step towards addressing the issue of drug abuse and promoting a healthier society. Speaking to the reporters on Sunday, Devesh Chandra Srivastava said, 'The fight against drug abuse is not that of the police alone. We need the cooperation of the public as well as all departments like education, health and drug control department. We are all fighting against drug abuse together. The Lieutenant Governor has given us the vision of a drug-free Delhi by 2027. Meaningful efforts are being made for Chief Minister also participated in today's program and assured that the Delhi government and Delhi Police will work together against this evil.' The Delhi government and Delhi Police are working together to tackle drug abuse, with the Chief Minister assuring support for the initiative. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and involve the public in the effort to create a drug-free society. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora also attended the program, which was held at Kartavya Path in the National capital to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. She assured that the Delhi government and Delhi Police will work together against this evil. Last month, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested five individuals and dismantled a drug syndicate operating in the North Campus area of Delhi University, officials said. According to officials, the accused were found in possession of 2,360 Tramadol-based capsules and 135 bottles of codeine-based syrup--both banned for non-prescription use, valued at over Rs 1 lakh in the international market. DCP, ANTF Crime Apoorva Gupta stated that the action is part of the ongoing anti-drug campaign under the Government of India's 'Zero Tolerance' policy and the 'Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.' Acting on a tip-off, ANTF officials arrested Manish Bhatle (26), who was found carrying two sacks containing illegal drugs near Shri Ram Institute, University Road. He failed to produce any medical prescriptions or purchase invoices and was taken into custody on the spot. A drug inspector from the Drug Control Department confirmed the recovered substances were prohibited under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, they said. (ANI)