Today, On 18th June, The Supreme Court granted protection to a Kerala journalist who was booked for allegedly posting a defamatory YouTube video against a woman politician. The Court’s order offers him relief from any coercive action in the case.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court granted interim bail to a journalist from Kerala who had been accused of publishing a defamatory video about a prominent woman politician on his YouTube channel, “Crime Online.”
A bench consisting of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Prasanna B Varale issued a notice to the Kerala government and the relevant police station’s officer regarding the anticipatory bail application of journalist Nandakumar TP.
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After considering the arguments presented, the bench stated that if the journalist is arrested, he will be granted bail by the trial court upon the submission of a bond and sureties as specified by the judge.
Additionally, the court instructed the journalist to assist with the ongoing investigation.
The journalist faced charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for offenses related to outraging a woman’s modesty, intimidation, and intent to cause reputational damage, as well as for disseminating obscene content electronically.
He was also charged under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, which penalizes the publication or transmission of obscene material in electronic form.
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The state police claimed that a YouTube video posted by Nandakumar included derogatory, sexually charged, and threatening comments aimed at humiliating and damaging the reputation of the woman leader.
Previously, on June 9, the Kerala High Court had denied Nandakumar anticipatory bail and instructed him to surrender to the police.
This high court decision was appealed in the Supreme Court, which scheduled the hearing for six weeks later.
Case Title: Nandakumar T.P. v. State of Kerala & Anr. , SLP(Crl) No. 9098 / 2025