On June 17, the Kerala Police arrested journalist TP Nandakumar for allegedly forcing his colleague to make an obscene video. Journalist Nandakumar, popularly known as ‘crime’ Nandakumar is the chief editor of Crime magazine and is also accused of using vulgar language and misbehaving with his female employee.
According to the reports, the Kerala police acted swift on the complaint filed by the female employee on May 27 who stated that Nandakumar asked her to produce a pornographic video to target Health Minister Veena George. She said that she looked similar to George and so was forced by the journalist to act in a pornographic film.
നേരത്തെ, മന്ത്രി വീണാ ജോർജിനെതിരെ സമൂഹമാധ്യമങ്ങളിലൂടെ അപകീർത്തികരമായ പരാമർശം നടത്തിയതിനു നന്ദകുമാറിനെതിരെ പൊലീസ് കേസെടുത്തിരുന്നുhttps://t.co/WbErmXuBiT#TPNandakumar #CrimeNandakumar #VeenaGeorge pic.twitter.com/dFpxNbnAW2
— Manorama Online (@manoramaonline) June 17, 2022
The complainant added that she was offered a fat amount by the journalist for the task and was verbally abused when she refused to do the video. The Kerala Police investigated the office of Nandakumar and seized his several digital devices and documents. Kochi city police commissioner CH Nagaraju meanwhile also alleged that the journalist had asked the complainant to make a fake video on Kerala Health Minister.
“He forced her to make a fake video and we will be adding sections under the Information Technology (IT) Act as well. The main charges under which the case has been registered against him are insulting a woman, and insulting her based on caste”, the police commissioner was quoted. Reports mention that TP Nandakumar has filed a counter-complaint in the case saying that his female co-worker had misbehaved with him.
This is months after journalist TP Nandakumar through his Crime magazine had published a report claiming that he had videos of Health Minister Veena George where she was seen naked. In September 2021, journalist Nandakumar was interviewing Kerala-based politician PC George, who had made derogatory remarks about the Health Minister. He had said that Veena George was was made Health Minister just because she was an ‘assistant’ to CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
The Crime magazine published the phone-in interview from its social media handle resulting in the arrest of its Chief Editor TP Nandakumar. The Kakkanad police had charged him for making defamatory remarks against Veena George and for circulating the voice clip via social media. Later, a complaint was also registered against ex-MLA PC George for insulting the modesty of state Health Minister Veena George.
Nandakumar had exposed CM Vijayan in SNC-Lavalin case
It is important to note that journalist TP Nandakumar and politician PC George have a history of engaging in legal battles against CM Pinarayi Vijayan. In the year 2006, Nandakumar exposed CM Vijayan by presenting crucial evidence to the ED in the SNC-Lavalin corruption case. He had filed a complaint with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) against CM Vijayan and accused him of indulging in a criminal conspiracy while he was serving as the Electricity Minister of Kerala from May 1996 to October 1998.
Kerala: Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned TP Nandakumar, who is a journalist, to present evidences in connection with SNC Lavalin case tomorrow.
— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2021
In 2006, TP Nandakumar filed a complaint to Directorate of Revenue Intelligence against Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and two others.
The complaint stated that the then Electricity Minister Vijayan and Kerala State Electricity Board members awarded hydroelectric project renovation contracts to Canada-based company SNC-Lavalin at exorbitant rates. However, the CBI Court had acquitted Vijayan due to a lack of evidence then.
Gold Smuggling Case: Police say Nandakumar also behind Swapna Suresh’s allegations against CM Vijayan
Also recently, the Special Investigation Team examining the Kerala gold smuggling through diplomatic baggage case revealed that politicians PC George and Nandakumar have a major role to highlight the alleged involvement of CM Vijayan in the case. The Kerala Police team stated that the duo was behind Swapna Suresh’s allegations against CM Vijayan.
On July 5, 2020, customs authorities at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport seized gold weighing more than 30 kg and worth around Rs 15 crore. This gold was hidden in diplomatic luggage and air freighted to the UAE embassy. Customs officers took action after receiving evidence that the luggage was part of a smuggling network attempting to misappropriate the name of a diplomat with diplomatic immunity.
In the current case, ‘Crime’ Nandakumar was arrested on June 17 and was booked under the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and sections 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) and 509 (Word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
