Kochi: Kochi City cyber police have booked television journalist Aparna Kurup for making alleged provocative statements during a debate on Sunni Muslim scholar Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliar’s remarks about women appearing in public.
The case against senior coordinating editor of Malayalam news channel Big TV was registered following a complaint by Kasaragod native Abdul Hakeem B.M. Her comment was later taken down by the channel after it sparked a massive controversy.
A separate case was registered against a panellist of the show.
According to the FIR against Kurup, she said during the debate that certain individuals act as if consuming cannabis, being arrested for narcotics offences, or engaging in sexual misconduct is permissible under the teachings of the Quran.
The complaint alleged that the show anchor made the comments with the intention and knowledge that they could cause a breach of peace and potentially lead to a riot, while also deliberately hurting the religious sentiments of members of a religious community.
Charges brought against her relate to provoking riots, deliberately hurting religious sentiments, wounding religious feelings through words or gestures and promoting enmity between different groups.
The offences carry punishments ranging from up to six months to three years in prison, a fine, or both.
A section of Kerala Police Act, which carries a punishment of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to Rs 5,000, or both, has also been invoked.
Kanthapuram, one of the tallest Muslim clerics in Kerala and the Grand Mufti of India, said recently that Islam prescribes women must be confined to their homes and if they step out, it would lead to “great destruction.”
In her introductory remarks, Kurup allegedly criticised Kanthapuram’s statement, according to police.
She faced severe criticism from several Muslim organisations, and was also trolled and attacked on social media, following which the journalist filed a separate case.
Police registered a case against two persons, including a leader of an Islamist organisation, over alleged threats of physical assault against Kurup following the debate.
However, the Kerala government decided not to take any further action against Abdulla Basil CP, an office-bearer of the Wisdom Islamic Organisation.
Kurup apologised over the remarks, claiming that the discussion was aimed at upholding equality and social justice for women.
“Some of the remarks made during the Big Dialogue discussion on gender discrimination against women should have been avoided. If they have hurt anyone’s religious sentiments or beliefs, we express our unconditional regret,” she said in a statement.
The channel added: “While upholding the demand that women should be given equal consideration and social justice irrespective of religion, we also acknowledge that, in the circumstances where the said video could create a misunderstanding in society, the video has been removed from all social media platforms of Big TV.”
Kanthapuram appealed to his followers not to be provoked.
“In such situations, we should respond only with maturity and wisdom, without reacting emotionally in any way,” he said in a statement, adding that the tradition of Sunni believers had been to confront every form of evil with goodness.
