Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief Seeman stirred controversy on Friday, February 28, with his sexually explicit responses when asked about a woman’s case of rape and cheating under the pretext of marriage. Seeman dismissed the allegations against him as the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) ploy.
Seeman was responding to questions by the media in Dharmapuri when he said that people are talking as though he abducted a young pubescent girl and “raped her in a cornfield.” He further claimed that his recent speeches against Periyar and the DMK have rattled the government, for which they have been targeting him by making women file cases.
“If I was just an ordinary director who isn’t important and hasn’t made many films, would you still be talking about this case?” he asked, referring to his past as a filmmaker before entering politics.
The case against Seeman dates back to 2011 when a woman actor accused him of cheating her under the pretext of marriage following which Seeman was booked for rape, cheating, and criminal intimidation. She also alleged that she was forced to undergo multiple abortions. However, criminal proceedings were not initiated against him after the woman requested not to do so.
Though she withdrew her complaint later, she approached the police again in 2023 with a fresh complaint. After this, she broke down before the media saying that she has been fighting against Seeman for many years. She also stated that she contemplated ending her life several times. The complaint was subsequently forwarded to the Valasaravakkam police station in Chennai.
On February 14, the police issued a summons to Seeman to appear for questioning, which he failed to comply with. The summons was reissued on February 27, instructing him to present himself the following day. However, tensions escalated when his security guard and a supporter were detained for tearing down the summons notices.