Chennai:
The news editor of a popular Tamil daily Dinamalar has been arrested. Lenin, the editor has been arrested under the Women Harassment Act for a news report that named a few popular actresses in a sex racket.
Tamil superstar Rajinikanth has welcomed the arrest. "Even if someone is a prostitute please don't publish their photographs when they are arrested. Making them stand, covering their faces, it's so sad to look at those pictures. They don't do it for pleasure, it's for a square of meal they do," he said.
A television actress who was recently arrested for prostitution made allegations against other actresses. The paper carried these charges with photos of those named. This sparked a furore in the film industry, thereby calling for police action.
Police say the newspaper misreported the woman's statement. "She has not said anything of what appeared in the press. We have registered a case under Section 4 of the Women Harassment Act," says Chennai Police Commissioner T Rajendran.
Lenin responded by saying," We'll face this legally."
Journalists say the police have buckled under pressure from Kollywood and have called for an emergency meeting on Thursday.