Thiruvananthapuram press club president to be probed over complaint of ‘harassing’ woman

Thiruvananthapuram Press Club president M Radhakrishnan will be probed over a complaint of alleged harassment of a woman while she was riding her scooter in Kerala’s capital city earlier this month. 

The complaint filed by the woman at the Cantonment police station said she was chased by a person on a motorbike, who then verbally abused her and made vulgar gestures at her. The incident took place near the AKG centre in Thiruvananthapuram between 7.45 and 8 pm on February 3, the complaint said. 

The police lodged an FIR in the matter, and after probe and examination of CCTV footage, identified the motorbike as Radhakrishnan’s. “It is after investigations and examining CCTV visuals that we identified the motorbike as Radhakrishnan’s. He has admitted that there was a verbal argument between him and the woman, but denied there being any use of abusive language or gestures,” a police official told The News Minute.

Sections 354 D (offence of stalking) and 509 (offence of insulting modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code will likely be added to the FIR. However, it depends on the findings, and no witnesses have come forward yet, said the police official.

Radhakrishnan is not new to controversy. He was earlier accused in a case of moral policing and harassment, when he barged into a woman colleague’s house with other men, slapped a guest at the house, and reportedly humiliated the woman in front of her little children. 

He was subsequently arrested and sacked from Malayalam daily Kerala Kaumudi where he worked as a proofreader. But he continued as the Thiruvanthapuram Press Club secretary, the office he held at the time. 

Women journalists in Thiruvananthapuram then protested against Radhakrishnan and marched to the press club demanding his resignation, after which he was briefly expelled. But in the next elections, he was voted president and continues in that position.

This report was republished from The News Minute as part of The News Minute-Newslaundry alliance. It has been lightly edited for style and clarity. Read about our partnership here and become a TNM Member here.

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