This is an archive article published on September 5, 2018
A day after arrest for anti-BJP slogan, Lois Sofia gets bail
Tamil Nadu student arrest: Under fire from rival parties for complaining against a student and having her arrested, Soundararajan defended her decision, saying Sofia should not have done that on board an aircraft.
Lois Sofia was sent to judicial custody for 15 days after she shouted “fascist BJP government down, down”.
A day after she was arrested in Tuticorin for shouting “fascist BJP government down, down” on board a flight in the presence of Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan who filed a complaint, 28-year-old Lois Sofia was granted unconditional bail Tuesday.
On her way home from Canada where she is studying, Sofia was with her parents who joined her at Chennai for the IndiGo flight to Tuticorin. The incident took place after the flight landed at the Tuticorin airport.
Magistrate S Tamilselvi granted unconditional bail to Sofia. Under fire from rival parties for complaining against a student and having her arrested, Soundararajan defended her decision, saying Sofia should not have done that on board an aircraft.
DMK chief Stalin condemned the arrest of Sofia and said he was saddened to know that even shouting slogans against a government is now considered wrong. He recalled that the Supreme Court recently observed that dissent is the safety valve of democracy.
On Monday, a police officer in Tuticorin said the case was being handled by the All Women Police Station at Tuticorin based on a complaint from Soundararajan. “There are IPC Sections 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 290 (public nuisance) and Section 75 of the Tamil Nadu City Police Act,” the officer said.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan filed a police report.
Soundararajan said “the young and seemingly innocent girl” raised the slogan against the BJP government. “I was on Seat No. 3 and she was on Seat No. 8. When I was coming out after the flight landed, she saw me and suddenly shouted ‘down with fascist BJP government’. When I turned to her, she repeated it. Seeing a very young girl sitting with her parents, I thought I will ignore it. But she repeated it…” Tamilisai said.
She said a person using the word ‘fascist’ cannot be an “innocent” person. “I thought I shouldn’t ignore a terrorist, so I filed a petition,” she said.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
Lois Sofia was sent to judicial custody for 15 days after she shouted “fascist BJP government down, down”.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan filed a police report.