Marunadan Malayali editor Shajan Skariah has announced plans to take legal action against the police, alleging that his recent arrest amounts to contempt of court. Speaking to Asianet News, he claimed that the arrest was an act of personal revenge by the investigating officer and was intended to malign his public image. Skariah stated that the complaint against him lacked merit and accused the officer of deliberately arresting him at night from his home in a case that was registered three months earlier.
There has been widespread criticism of the police’s handling of the arrest, with many pointing out that proper legal procedures were not followed. Despite being charged under a non-bailable section of the IT Act, the court granted Skariah bail due to procedural lapses. He alleged that the arrest, carried out by Cyber Cell CI Niyas, was conducted without prior notice or explanation, and claimed the police had been following him for some time. Skariah also argued that he was not a fugitive and could have been summoned lawfully.
The case stems from a complaint filed by a woman from Mahe, who alleged she was defamed through a video posted on Skariah’s news platform in December 2024. The video reportedly accused her of using a honey trap to extort money, damaging her reputation and upsetting her family. The woman, said to be a bank employee in the UAE, lodged the complaint through the Chief Minister’s office. While 107 cases have reportedly been filed against Skariah across Kerala, further action in this particular case was paused earlier by a High Court directive, which instructed police not to arrest him without issuing notice.
Post Your Comments