Malayalam actor Kollam Thulasi surrenders for making anti-women provocative remark
(Sourced from PTI)
Malayalam Actor Kollam Thulasi, who courted controversy over his anti-women provocative remark during the Sabarimala protest, surrendered before police today in Chavara, Kollam district. A case had been pending against Thulasi for his 'shocking' statement made last October. He had said that young women entering Sabarimala should be ripped apart and one half sent to Delhi and the other to CM Pinarayi Vijayan's office.
The actor had also attacked the Supreme Court bench which had delivered the landmark judgment last year. Thulasi, who is popular in negative roles in films and television serials, had made the offensive remarks while speaking at a meeting convened to welcome the BJP state president, P S Sreedharan Pillai led "Sabarimala samrakshana yatra" on October 12 last year at Chavara.
Though Thulasi publicly apologized for his remarks, an FIR was registered on a complaint by a local leader of the DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M). The Kerala High court had on January 10 dismissed his anticipatory bail petition after directing him to surrender before the investigation officer. Police sources said the actor surrendered this morning and his arrest had been recorded.
Thulasi would be produced before a magistrate court soon. He was booked under various sections of IPC for deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage the modesty of women, Punishment for criminal intimidation, word, gesture or act to insult the modesty of women and wantonly provocating to cause riot and sexual harassment. The Kerala State Women's Commission had also registered a case against him.
On September 28 last year, the SC had allowed women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple and offer prayers, setting aside the centuries-old tradition of not allowing children and women in the menstruating age group of 10-50 at the shrine. After the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF government decided to implement the apex court verdict, following which right outfits with BJP/RSS support launched protests.
