YouTuber who called Mohanlal’s Wayanad visit ‘time waste’ booked by Kerala Police

On Saturday, Mohanlal visited the landslide-hit regions in Wayanad as a Lt Colonel in the territorial army and donated Rs 3 crore to relief and rehabilitation efforts. Alex, who has made several controversial videos in the past, purportedly criticised the actor’s visit saying he had landed there “to waste others’ time” and that he had “no self-respect”. He also purportedly criticised fund mobilisation efforts for Wayanad.

The YouTuber was booked under Section 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 296 b (utters any obscene words, in or near any public place) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 120 (o) of The Kerala Police Act, 2011, which deals with causing a nuisance or violating public order through communication.

Police claim that Alex had been trying to “provoke” Mohanlal. The YouTuber also was taken to his house in Kochi, where he uploaded his video, as part of the probe.

Reacting to the arrest, actor Siddique said several YouTubers have “a habit” of insulting actors. “Mohanlal has gone to Wayanad in his capacity as Lieutenant Colonel. He should be congratulated for that gesture. Instead, he was ridiculed and insulted in a dirty language. It should be opposed,” he said.

Last year, Alex accused actor Bala of trespassing in his house and threatening him over one of his videos. In it, the YouTuber had accused Bala of forcing a freelance film reviewer, Santhosh Varkey into making a public apology. Police had then booked Bala.