Kerala HC grants bail to Boby Chemmanur; but says 'body shaming not acceptable'
Kochi, Jan 14: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday granted bail to prominent businessman Boby Chemmanur, who is in judicial custody after being arrested in a sexual harassment case filed against him by Malayalam actor Honey Rose.
Granting relief to Chemmanur, Justice P V Kunhikrishnan, however, said,"body shaming is not acceptable in our society".
"Comments about the body of a person as too fat, too skinny, too short, too tall, too dark, too black, etc. should be avoided. There is a sense that we are all 'too something' and we are all 'not enough'. This is life. Our bodies will change, our minds will change and our hearts will change. Everybody should be vigilant while making comments about others, whether they are men or women," the court said.
Noting that the businessman was accused of offences that entail a jail term of up to three years, the judge said the Supreme Court had observed that in offences where punishment was for seven years or less, an accused cannot be arrested by the police without sufficient reasons.
"In the light of the above principle, I think the petitioner can be released on bail after imposing stringent conditions... Moreover, it is a well-accepted principle that the bail is the rule and the jail is the exception," the judge said.
While granting him the relief, the court also noted that prima facie it was of the opinion that "there are ingredients to attract the offences alleged against the petitioner (Chemmanur).
Chemmanur has been charged under Section 75(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for making "sexually coloured remarks" as a form of sexual harassment, as well as under Section 67 of the IT Act for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form.
The High Court noted that he used words "with double meanings".
"Any Malayalee who reads the First Information Statement (FIS) can easily understand that the words used by the petitioner (Chemmanur) are with double meanings.
"Therefore, I am of the considered opinion that prima facie, the ingredients of the offences alleged are attracted. Even though the senior counsel (for Chemmanur) tried to argue before me that the ingredients of the offences are not attracted, I cannot agree with him on the same," Justice Kunhikrishnan said.
The court also said that "body shaming is not acceptable in our society".
"Comments about the body of a person as too fat, too skinny, too short, too tall, too dark, too black, etc. should be avoided. There is a sense that we are all 'too something' and we are all 'not enough'. This is life.
"Our bodies will change, our minds will change and our hearts will change. Everybody should be vigilant while making comments about others, whether they are men or women," the court said.
The High Court said that Chemmanur shall be released on bail on executing a bond of Rs 50,000 with two solvent sureties each for the like sum to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional court.
It directed him to appear before the Investigating Officer (IO) for interrogation as and when required, cooperate with the probe and not to, directly or indirectly, influence or intimidate persons acquainted with the case to prevent them from disclosing facts to the court or any police officer.
It also directed Chemmanur not to commit an offence similar to the offence he is accused of and said that if any of the conditions were violated, his bail can be cancelled by the jurisdictional court.
The prosecution had opposed the bail plea, claiming that almost all of Chemmanur's social media posts carried sexually coloured remarks.
It had contended that granting him relief would send a wrong message to society.
The court, on the other hand, had said during the hearing that a message has already gone to the society as the businessman was in judicial custody since January 9.
He was arrested from Wayanad on January 8.
Chemmanur had approached the High Court after the Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-II denied him bail on January 9 and sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.
In his bail plea, he has claimed that the allegations originated from a complaint lodged by the actor who, until recently, had publicly acknowledged and celebrated her two-decade-long acquaintance with him.
It has further mentioned that she had previously inaugurated three jewellery shops belonging to his business group as the chief guest in April 2019 at Perambra, in December 2022 at Attingal, and in August 2024 at Kannur.
The petition has stated that Honey Rose herself publicly disclosed the complaint by posting a letter addressed to Chemmanur on social media, announcing the filing of the complaint and making unwarranted remarks against him.
According to the actor's complaint, upon invitation, she inaugurated the Chemmanur International Jewellery showroom at Alakode, Kannur, on August 7, 2024, where thousands had gathered to witness the event.
During the inauguration ceremony, Chemmanur placed a necklace around the actress's neck and then made unwelcome sexual advances with bad intentions, twirling or rotating her, the complaint has stated.
However, Chemmanur has stated that he is completely innocent of all the accusations levelled against him and denied the allegations, calling them false, baseless, and incorrect.
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Noida airport to begin ops next month with IndiGo flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru
Noida (PTI): IndiGo on Thursday announced that it will start commercial flight operations from the Noida International Airport in Jewar from June 15, becoming the launch carrier for the greenfield airport in western Uttar Pradesh.
The first day flights will be to and fro Lucknow and Bengaluru, the airline said in a statement.
Noida International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
IndiGo said it will be the first carrier to start commercial services from the airport, the third in the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the airline, inaugural flights on June 15 will operate on the Lucknow-Noida-Bengaluru-Noida-Lucknow sector.
As per the announced schedule, flight 6E 2278 will depart from Lucknow at 7.05 am and arrive in Noida at 8.05 am before departing for Bengaluru at 8.35 am and landing there at 11.05 am.
The return flight, 6E 2279, will leave Bengaluru at 3.45 pm and reach Noida at 6.20 pm before departing for Lucknow at 6.55 pm and arriving there at 8 pm.
IndiGo said it will gradually introduce direct flights connecting Noida International Airport to more than 16 destinations across the country, including metro cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Pantnagar and Srinagar.
The airline said bookings for the flights are being opened in phases through its website, mobile application and authorised travel partners.
Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer of IndiGo, said the airline was pleased to announce the launch of operations from Noida International Airport.
"Strategically positioned on the Yamuna Expressway, Noida International Airport will be the new gateway for western Uttar Pradesh alongside the NCR. As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to delivering affordable, on-time and hassle-free travel experiences," Singh said.
IndiGo said the airport is expected to emerge as a major domestic aviation hub and will strengthen connectivity between Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh through integrated road and rail infrastructure.
