CHENNAI: The media coverage of a city pub that was allegedly kept open past 11.30 pm received severe backlash on social media when the journalists mainly targeted women and their lifestyle choices. While the news clip said the pub remained open past 11.30 pm on Sunday, the pub management said they had closed it on time. A case is yet to be registered and an inquiry is on, the police said.
A senior police officer said, “We reached the spot after the pub’s management informed us that a group of men were trying to forcefully enter the premises. When we were trying to understand the situation, TV channels too came to the spot. As the remaining guests in the pub were leaving, the news cameras started chasing them. A probe is on to ascertain whether the pub was open after 11.30 pm. No FIR has been registered yet.”
A section of TV channels allegedly went after women in particular when they were stepping out of the pub, claiming they were engaged in sexual acts inside the pub. They also tried to capture the women’s faces and their attire even as the women struggled to protect their privacy. Following the backlash on social media from prominent personalities such as playback singer Chinmayi Sripaada and former BJP member and actor Gayathri Raguramm, one of the news channels removed its post. But another television news channel continued to air the news footage.
As per the pub’s management, the issue started when a group of six men came to the pub by the closing time. When the management told them they would not be allowed inside, the group created a ruckus by forcefully trying to open the door and called up their friends in the media “in order to blow up the situation”. The group asked the pub to send out the people who were already seated inside.
“To protect the remaining guests in the pub, we called the police and with their permission we let them out. However, the Tamil media channels that had come to spot started chasing the women who were going out and tried to capture their faces on camera. Some of the reporters used abusive language on the women. The main issue was not about closing on time, but denying entry to the group, “ the management said. The police are conducting inquiries to ascertain whether the pub closed on time. A case is yet to be registered.