Thrissur: A case has been registered against media personnel following a complaint lodged by actor and Union Minister Suresh Gopi alleging that the journalists blocked his way when he exited the Thrissur Ramanilayam government guest house.
The case was registered on Wednesday night under sections 329(3), 126(2), 132 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police said. While Section 329(3) of the BNS deals with trespass, 126(2) deals with wrongful restraint, and 132 deals with assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty. According to the FIR, the reporters trespassed and blocked Gopi from entering his vehicle and obstructed the duty of his security officer.
On Tuesday, when Gopi, the first BJP Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, was asked by reporters about the allegations of sexual harassment against CPI(M) MLA M Mukesh, he replied, "You (media) are not only making people fight each other for your own gains, you are also misleading public perception. The complaints are in the form of allegations at the moment. What are you telling people? Are you the court? You are not. The court will decide. Let the court decide."
Later the same day, when scribes tried to get his reaction over BJP state chief K Surendran's comments that the party's stand is to seek Mukesh's resignation, the actor was seen angrily pushing away some of them. According to the videos, some of the reporters approached Gopi as he was trying to get into his official vehicle, and he pushed them away, saying, "What is this? My way is my right. Please." Thereafter, he got inside the car and left without answering any of the reporters' queries. However, police were yet to register any case on a complaint filed by Congress leader and former MLA Anil Akkara against Gopi over his conduct towards media persons in Thrissur.
(With PTI inputs)
