CHENNAI: Days after a few women were chased, harassed and morally policed by some Tamil news outlets outside a Chennai pub, Big Bull Lounge, the city police registered an FIR report against five persons who had created a ruckus there including News Tamil 24*7 crime beat reporter Sudharsan on November 19.
The case has been registered under various sections of the IPC including 143 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 294(b) (obscenity), 354A (making sexually coloured remarks), 509 (insult the modesty of a woman), and section 4 of the TNPWH Act.
“While taking the videographs, a few unknown persons uttered abusive, denigrating and obscene remarks against the women coming out of the bar, which were aired later on various channels,” read the press release issued by the Chennai police.
Chennai police received two complaints in connection with the incident that happened on the night of the ICC World Cup 2023 final. One complaint was from a woman who was chased and filmed by the media camerapersons and another was filed by a man who had visited the pub with his wife who alleged that the drunken men who created a ruckus had tried to grope his wife, reported TheNewsMinute (TNM)
A scuffle had broken out between a group of drunken men and the pub staff that night after the former were denied entry into the pub as they had arrived near closing time. When the pub management called the police, the men called a friend in the media, TNM reported. The incident was misreported as a police raid and channels focused largely on shaming the women for their attire and for drinking, a TNM report said.
A Network of Women in Media statement condemned the incident, staying that "not only was the incident misreported, but women at the bar were sexually harassed, shamed and hounded by the camerapersons of Thanthi TV, Polimer News and News Tamil 24*7, operating in paparazzi style."
The statement demanded the three TV channels to issue public apologies to the victims and take down all content of the incident from social media.