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The Kannur Rural Cyber Crime Police have registered a case against multiple media organisations and online platforms after senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader and former MP PK Sreemathi alleged that they circulated false reports claiming she was illegally receiving a family pension in the name of a former legislator.
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Saturday night, July 25, based on Sreemathi’s complaint.
The case has been booked under Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) (insulting the modesty of a woman), Section 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act (causing nuisance through repeated or anonymous communication) and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act (cheating by personation using a communication device).
Among those named in the FIR are Janam TV, Karma News, Dailyhunt, Bharat Live, Janmabhoomi, and the Kannur-based evening daily Sudinam.
The controversy began after several news platforms, citing purported Right to Information (RTI) documents, alleged that Sreemathi was drawing a family pension by claiming to be the widow of former Congress MLA PR Krishnan.
However, Krishnan’s family later clarified that the pension beneficiary was his widow, who is also named PK Sreemathi. They said the confusion arose because both women shared the same name. PR Krishnan was a former Kunnamkulam MLA in the Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly between 1954 and 1956.
According to Sreemathi, who served as the Health Minister in the V S Achuthanandan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government from 2006 to 2011, the news reports falsely portrayed her as having claimed pension benefits that she was never drawn to.
In her complaint, she alleged that the reports and links circulated online “damaged her reputation and lowered her dignity in the eyes of the public”.
She further claimed that the online contents were part of a coordinated social media campaign to malign her.
Following the circulation of the allegations Sreemathi submitted complaints to the Chief Minister VD Satheesan and Home minister Ramesh Chennithala and the State Police Chief seeking legal action in the incident.
Speaking to the media after the controversy, Sreemathi said the allegations had caused immense distress to her and her family. She broke down while recalling that her husband had died only 10 months ago, yet she was being accused of receiving a family pension in the name of another legislator.