KOCHI: Police on Tuesday registered a case against IAS officer N Prasanth for allegedly sending an insulting WhatsApp message to a woman journalist of a leading vernacular daily in the city.
The case was registered at Palarivattom Police station against the 2007 batch IAS officer, who is currently the managing director of Kerala State Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC), on charges of insulting the modesty of a woman.
In her complaint, the journalist had submitted that the “officer responded with abusive replies and emojis” when she tried to get his response on an allegation regarding the deep-sea fishing project.
Prasanth is popularly known as 'Collector Bro' and has a huge fan following on social media.
KSINC had signed an MoU with US-based EMCC International Pvt Ltd for constructing deep-sea fishing trawlers. The deal courted controversy after the Opposition alleged that it violated the rights of fishermen. The government later cancelled the MoU. When the deal became controversial, the government maintained that it was Prasanth who was providing the documents pertaining to the deal to the then Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala.
The journalist contacted the IAS officer to get his response on the allegations for her report when he sent her the abusive messages over WhatsApp.
"A case has been registered under Section 509 of IPC (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and further action will be initiated," said an officer with Palarivattom police station.