Instagram post describing Pinarayi as ‘gold thief’: 19-yr-old booked in Kannur
According to the FIR, the post was shared on Instagram through an account named ‘priyadarshini_olayikkara’ on April 9, the day polling was held in Kerala.
According to the FIR, the post was shared on Instagram through an account named ‘priyadarshini_olayikkara’ on April 9, the day polling was held in Kerala.
According to the FIR, the post was shared on Instagram through an account named ‘priyadarshini_olayikkara’ on April 9, the day polling was held in Kerala.
Kannur: The Kannur Cyber Police have registered a case against a 19-year-old for posting a photograph of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on social media with the caption “Swarnakkallan” (gold thief).
The accused, Anunand, a native of Paachapoika in Kannur, was booked under Sections 192 (provocation with intent to cause a riot) and 356(2) (criminal defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act, which deals with causing annoyance or inconvenience through repeated or undesirable communication.
According to the FIR, the post was shared on Instagram through an account named ‘priyadarshini_olayikkara’ on April 9, the day polling was held in Kerala. The complaint, filed by T Sudheer, alleged that the post was intended to defame the Chief Minister and had caused distress among the complainant and CPM workers. The FIR also states that the accused acted with the intention of creating unrest through a provocative post.
The phrase “gold thief” has been widely used by political opponents during the Assembly elections in reference to allegations linking Vijayan to the Sabarimala gold theft case. The issue has featured prominently in political campaigns, with rival parties releasing posters, songs and AI-generated videos targeting the Chief Minister.
Posts on the Instagram account ‘priyadarshini_olayikkara’ are largely supportive of the UDF and include campaign content for Advocate V P Abdul Rasheed, who contested against Vijayan in the Dharmadom constituency.
The Assembly election saw the ruling LDF seeking a third consecutive term, while the UDF and NDA campaigns focused heavily on allegations of corruption, including those related to the Sabarimala case, against the Left.