Chennai TV reporter, others booked on sexual harassment charges after pub incident

The incident was later found out to be part of a plan orchestrated by a few who wanted to settle scores with the pub management, with assistance from a section of the media.

By: Express News Service

Chennai | November 24, 2023 07:28 PM IST

2 min read

In the visuals, some women were seen running out of the pub, covering their faces with kerchiefs and helmets. (Source: Screengrab)

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Police said Friday that an FIR was registered against a Tamil news channel reporter and others for allegedly harassing women at a pub in Chennai following an incident in which a few people created a scene after being denied entry beyond business hours.

According to the police, on November 20 five people created a scene after being denied entry to Big Bull Lounge at Nandanam at 12:15 am. However, Sudharsan, a reporter with News Tamil 24×7, and some others who arrived there on learning about the incident, allegedly started taking videos of women who had been watching the World Cup cricket final match at the bar. Some people used “abusive, denigrating and obscene remarks” against the women, which were telecast later by various TV channels, the police said.

On the basis of the one of the women’s complaint, the Saidapet police police registered a case against Sudharsan and others under Indian Penal Code sections including 143 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 294B (obscene acts and songs), 354A (sexual harassment) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of women) as well as section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act on Thursday.

The incident, which was covered extensively by local news channels, was later found out by the police to be part of a plan orchestrated by a few people to settle scores with the pub management, with assistance from a section of the media.

The incident led to an outrage on social media with people criticising the TV channels for trying to forcibly film the women at the pub and making “misogynistic” remarks about their attire.

In the visuals, some women were seen running out of the pub, covering their faces with kerchiefs and helmets.

An officer told indianexpress.com that the issue had been brought to the notice of the police commissioner as “media power cannot be allowed to be abused for personal agendas”.

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Chennai sexual harassment