Police book transgender influencer Janmoni Das over alleged remarks against PM Modi

Kozhikode: The Cyber Crime Police in Kozhikode have registered a case against transgender make-up artist and social media influencer Janmoni Das over alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post commenting on the recent protest at Jantar Mantar.

The case was registered following a complaint filed by Navya Haridas, State President of the BJP Mahila Morcha, before City Police Commissioner A P Shoukath Ali on Monday.

Police booked Janmoni Das under Sections 192 and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act.

According to the FIR, the accused, "with the intention and knowledge of creating unrest in society and disturbing public peace, committed a criminal act by making remarks through various social media platforms that defamed and insulted the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi."

The social media post sparked controversy, following which Janmoni Das released an apology video on her social media accounts.

In the video, she said: "I was not referring to the Prime Minister's mother. I was only asking a question related to the content, not making a remark about Modiji. Perhaps I did not express myself properly in Malayalam. I never intended to hurt anyone's feelings. If I have made a mistake, I sincerely apologise. Please forgive me, considering me as a young person. After searching on Google, I realised that what I had said was incorrect. I should have verified the facts before making the statement."

Despite the apology, Sangh Parivar organisations demanded that the police register a criminal case against her, following which the Cyber Crime Police initiated legal proceedings.