KOCHI: For Aluva native Ansari, the yearn for instant internet fame ended up in sour note when he was forced to apologise on social media for a video he posted. He was asked to apologise after KLF Nirmal Industries filed a criminal defamation case for spreading fake videos through social media by falsely claiming the company’s coconut oil he bought in Oman was contaminated with paraffin wax.
Ansari CA (36), of Chavarkad Perumbilly, Aluva, has agreed to post his apology as an audio file on Facebook, YouTube and broadcast to all his WhatsApp contacts. Following this, the company withdrew the case and the court ended the legal proceedings.
In December 2017, Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate had started legal proceedings after finding prima facie material in the case. In his apology, Ansari said he was mistaken in spreading a false video and was convinced KLF coconut oil is unadulterated. He said he bought two samples of KLF coconut oil recently and got them tested at the Muscat Municipality Laboratory. The results said the coconut oil was pure and unadulterated.
Paul Francis, MD of KLF Nirmal Industries said coconut oil comprises fatty acid molecules. When the oil freezes below 25 degree Celsius, the fatty acid get sedimented as granules rest at the bottom of the container. In his video, Ansari falsely claimed these sediments were paraffin wax. When his video went viral, KLF suffered heavy dip in sales, Paul said.“We want this to be a lesson for people trying to malign reputed products and business houses by spreading malicious rumours just because they have social media accounts,” said Paul.