On April 25, in a move that drew much public attention, Chennai city's cyber crime police took to Twitter to warn a social media user and demand that he remove a video that he had posted about the state's Health Secretary Beela Rajesh. The message was simple - remove the content or an FIR will be registered against you.
And at the receiving end of this warning was Sriram Venkatasubramaniam, a businessman with political connections.
This warning on a public platform has become a matter of discussion and concern, especially considering that the content put out by Sriram, was merely two videos of the Health Secretary talking at different press conferences, followed by an opinion about the administration. In the first video, Beela says the first case (of coronavirus) was in February and in the second she says that the first case was on March 9. Sriram in his tweet asked, "Is the Edappadi government functioning without even knowing when the first case of coronavirus was reported?"
I haven’t manipulated this forwarded video. The video only shows “misleading” information of @DrBeelaIAS
— Sriram (@SriramMadras) April 29, 2020
Video 1:All India first case Jan 30 (NOT Feb)
Video 2: TN first case March 7 (NOT March 9)
Is it a crime to share a forwarded video that blatantly shows this error? https://t.co/ENkpRwD8Yp
When Sriram didn't comply with the police's tweets and delete the video, the police initiated legal action. While sources in Cyber crime confirm that an FIR has been filed, they refuse to divulge who the complainant is or under what sections the businessman has been booked.
On April 27, the official handle of the Cyber crime police tweeted to Sriram once again. They asked him to appear before the Cyber Crime Cell in Chennai on April 30. For the businessman who currently lives abroad, this was an impossible deadline to meet.
Already given a warning to remove the video and tweet.
— Official Handle of Chennai City Cyber Crime Cell (@CCBCyberCell) April 25, 2020
But still you have not removed the video and tweet, please remove both from your twitter account . Otherwise FIR will be registered against you. Cyber Crime Cell, Central Crime Branch, Greater Chennai Police.
Speaking to TNM, he further insisted that he was merely exercising his right to speech and expression.
"Right from the start I have maintained that the police have been arm twisted to intimidate me," says Sriram."Official arrogance is the primary motivation of public cynicism. The police are forced to do this to satisfy officials who demand this of them. I wont blame the institution of police but I will blame the officer," he says, referring to the Health Secretary.
When asked about the content of his videos, he states that he will stand by what it shows.
"Even if she was referring to India in the first video and not Tamil Nadu, the country's first case was reported on January 30 not February. Similarly Tamil Nadu's first case was on March 7 and not March 9," he argues. "Any section of the law or Disaster Management act applicable to me in this case, should be applicable to Beela Rajesh, who gave out this false information," he adds.
The case against Sriram, came just two days after the founder of Coimbatore based online news portal SimpliCity was arrested under the Epidemic Diseases Act for highlighting corruption and negligence by government machinery during the COVID-19 crisis. A Judicial Magistrate Court in Coimbatore granted bail to the founder Andrew Sam Raja Pandian on March 28, even as media organisations protested his arrest.