Chennai police to remove names of Junior Vikatan directors from FIR

The Chennai police will remove the names of the directors of Tamil news magazine Junior Vikatan, whistleblower Savukku Shankar, and YouTuber Maridhas from an FIR filed in an extortion and intimidation case, the Hindu reported today.

The FIR in question was based on a complaint filed by a company named G Square Realtors. The company claimed that a man called Kevin had asked them for a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to withhold a story later published in Junior Vikatan in January. The story alleged the company was receiving “favours” due to its proximity to the DMK government in the state.

Kevin was arrested earlier this week. Maridhas and Savukku Shankar had been named in the FIR because Kevin purportedly said he would “make these social media influencers write defamatory statements about the company” if the bribe was not paid.

In a statement released yesterday, the police said they had found evidence that Kevin had financial transactions with staffers associated with Junior Vikatan.

“Since we have come to know that there is no evidence against the directors of Junior Vikatan and others, we are taking steps to remove their names from the FIR,” Chennai police commissioner Shankar Jiwal said. “However, the investigation into the complaint is continuing with available proof.”

The Chennai Press Club had condemned the FIR and held a protest on May 24 in Chennai.