Two complaints were filed with the police on Tuesday, November 21, in connection with the harassment of women by media persons outside a pub in Chennai. One of the victims was a woman, who was chased, verbally abused and filmed without consent outside a restobar by media persons in Chennai, and filed a police complaint. In her complaint to the Chennai Police Commission, she stated, “When we came out, there were several TV cameras with flashlights covering us. When we tried to hide our faces, the cameramen were abusive and in filthy language shouted at us. We were scared for our life and safety and ran helter-skelter. Even then the cameramen were chasing us."
The complainant also alleged that five men also attempted to grope her as she was exiting the bar. She said, “When we came out with the other girls, there were five young men in a highly drunken state and tried to grope us. All five of them used abusive words and tried to pull me. The bouncers and policemen who were present outside the entrance saved us.”
Seeking a case be registered against those involved in the incident, the complainant said she, her friend and her brother had gone to the Big Bull Lounge to watch the India vs Australia cricket match and were supposed to leave shortly after it ended at 10:30pm. But the bar manager had told them it was not safe to leave as there was some problem and the woman and her friend were made to wait until 12:30 pm.
Another complaint was filed by a couple. In the complaint, they said that five inebriated men tried to grope the woman as they were leaving. Recounting how media persons were waiting downstairs as they were leaving the bar, the complainant said, “The cameramen who were shooting the girls were highly abusive and thrust their camera in the women’s faces, including us. Subsequently, we managed to reach our vehicle and got away from the place.”
The incident took place outside Big Bull Lounge in the early hours of Monday, November 20, when several media persons chased and filmed women who were exiting the bar. The coverage of the incident was criticised for its misogynistic tone and how the women were being targeted unfairly for visiting resto bars and consuming alcohol.