Days after filmmaker Divya Bharathi alleged harassment and intimidation by the Tamil Nadu police, the reasons for police officers descending on her house in Madurai remains unclear.
A complaint has been filed at the Gudalur police station in Nilgiris district.
While the police station has confirmed that a case has indeed been registered, little else being revealed to the media. When asked what sections the filmmaker has been charged under, the inspector says, “We can’t reveal without the permission of the higher officers. Without their permission, we cannot give it to you.” When asked whose permission was needed, he said, “I cannot tell you whom to ask. For other news, we will give. But this is a specific case. We can’t give you the crime number. That’s why. We have some secrets. We have been instructed not to give.”
The filmmaker has reportedly been charged under IPC Sections 153A(1)(b) (commits any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, and which disturbs or is likely to disturb the public tranquillity), Section 505(1)(b) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility) and Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act which deals primarily with disrespect to the national flag.
The Superintendent of Police too was unaware of details, promising to get back to us.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court extended her bail, directing the state police not to arrest her until July 16.
Speaking to TNM earlier, Divya’s husband Gopal had told TNM that over 15 officials entered their house in Madurai on Monday evening, asking about her whereabouts.
On Tuesday, the group stopped her vehicle outside Madurai District Court, insisting that she come with them. “We kept asking who they were and if they had summons, which they didn't. They even took our keys. When we asked for the officer to show us his ID card, we found that he’s from Salem. When Madurai police officers have not approached, what is the need for an official from Salem to investigate?” slammed Gopal.
Speaking to TNM, Divya’s lawyer Robert Chandrakumar says, “On Wednesday, we anticipatory bail for her and the court ruled that she cannot be arrested till July 6. The Additional Advocate General appeared and cleverly said that within south zone, no FIR has been registered on her. However, we argued that since the Director General of Police has been listed as respondent in Divya's plea for anticipatory bail, they need to inform on FIRs filed beyond the 14 districts that come under Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. The court then gave oral instructions to the AAG asking them to get instruction from the DGP clarifying if any FIRs have been registered in the northern part of the state. It was only then that they revealed an FIR had been filed at Gudalur, Niligris district. Even then, they didn’t read out the sections. We had to find out through people in the area.”
The events have unfolded just days after Divya Bharathi released the trailer of her upcoming documentary on Cyclone Ockhi that wreaked havoc in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in November last year. The trailer of the documentary, which exposes the Central and state government’s failure to manage the crisis, was released on YouTube on June 28.