Kerala Chief Minist💃er Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday expressed disapproval of the manner in which actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi recently behaved with a woman journalist during a media int🦹eraction in Kozhikode.
Gopi landed in trouble after a video surfaced online showing him placing his hand on the shoulder of the journalist, who pushed it awa🐲y twice, during♕ a media interaction in northern Kozhikode.
The CM, at a press conference held here in the evening, said that the actor's subsequent apology indicates an acknow🤡ledgement that his action was wrong.
However, merely because he apologised, the woman journalist is not ꧅ready to end the matter, hꩲe said.
"It ind𒀰icates the extent of the mental trauma suffered by her," he added.
The Kerala police on Saturdaജy registered a case under IPC section 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman) against Gopi for his actions while speaking to a w𒐪oman journalist during an interaction with reporters in Kozhikode.
Nadakkavu Police here registe🍷red the case based on the complaint of the journalist who works with a local television chꦜannel.
She lodged th🏅e complaint, along with 🥂a video of the incident with the city police commissioner, who, in turn, handed it over to the local police station for further action.
The journalist also took up the issue with the Kerala Women's Commission, which sought a report from the District Police Chief on the incident tha𝔉t occurred🍒 on Friday, October 27.
Facing intense criticism from various quarters, Gopi, a former BJP Rajya Sabha member, later tendered an apology, sayin💜g he had only treated the journalist with affection.
He said he has never been disrespectful to anyone in his life, on or off the stage, and apologisಌed to the journalist for any mental agony she might have suffered due to his behaviour.
Gopi had said he had treated the woman journalist♏ affectionately in the presence of other mediapersons.
"But, in my opinion, whatever she ꦓfeels about it should be respected. I tender an apology if she felt bad or suffered any mental stress anyway... Sorry," Gopi, who is also a national award-winning actor, had said in a Facebook 🌺post.
D𝄹espite his apology, criticism from various quarters came up about his alleged inℱappropriate behaviour.
-With PTI Input
