Journalist Nakkheeran Gopal, editor of popular Tamil weekly ‘Nakkheeran‘, was arrested on October 9 by Chennai city police at the Chennai airport on charges of defamation for allegations against Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit in an article.
Journalist Gopal was taken into custody around 8.15 am when he was about to board a flight to Pune.
A top police officer while confirming his arrest said, “He was arrested by a deputy commissioner rank official from Adyar. We will reveal other details later.”
According to sources close to Gopal the police is likely to press sedition charges against him.
Gopal has published a cover photo in its current edition of the governor and assistant professor Nirmala Devi, who was arrested on charges of allegedly pushing college girls for extending sexual favours to senior officials of the leading Madurai Kamaraj University in return for marks.
Gopal also alleged in its article that Devi has said that she met the governor four times. The governor is the chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University to which the Devanga Arts College is affiliated.
An alleged telephone recording of her conversation with a few women students went viral.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s president MK Stalin while condemning the arrest of Gopal said, “With the action of arresting Gopal, it is obvious that the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu is a puppet of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) ruling at the Centre. The governor should have the nature to face criticisms. It shows that press freedom is under a threat now.”
