Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) spokesperson and Bigg Boss fame R Vikraman has been booked by the Chennai police on Saturday, October 28, following a complaint by a Dalit woman lawyer. The woman had said that Vikraman harassed and financially abused her under the pretext of a romantic relationship. An FIR has been filed against him under sections for rape, cheating, defamation and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Vadapalani All Women Police Station.
The First Information Report (FIR) has been registered based on the direction of the Special Court for the trial of cases under SC/ST (POA) Act. Principal Judge Alli had passed an order on October 20 directing the registration of a case. The court heard a private petition filed by the woman lawyer asking for an FIR to be registered.
The woman lawyer, a notable anti-caste, Ambedkarite lawyer and a Dalit rights activist, came forth with the allegations in May this year that Vikraman inflicted casteist, emotional, sexual and financial abuse against her under the pretext of a romantic relationship. She wrote a letter to VCK party president Thol Thirumavalavan on April 19 alleging that she had sustained huge financial and emotional damage because of Vikraman.
She alleged that he abused her for a prolonged period of time by exploiting her lowered caste vulnerabilities. She sought the party to constitute a committee to probe the allegations, and take disciplinary action against Vikraman.
The party, on May 2, constituted an internal inquiry committee of five members, including VCK deputy general secretary Gauthama Sanna. The committee was directed to conduct an inquiry with both the parties, record their statements within 15 days and submit a report to Thirumavalavan within 20 days. However, after the inquiry, no further information or the report was furnished to the complainant. The complainant also alleged that she was not given a copy of the report despite relentlessly asking for it. On July 16, the lawyer took to social media seeking the committee to furnish the report and to take action against Vikraman.
Soon after this, on July 17, Vikraman also took to social media and vehemently denied the allegations of abuse levelled against him. He also claimed that they were acquaintances and the relationship was “strictly platonic”.
As the party did not disclose about any action taken against Vikraman, the complainant approached the Chennai Commissioner of Police and filed a police complaint, on July 20. However, no action was taken despite repeated requests from the complainant, following which she filed a private petition with the magistrate of the special court.
Vikraman has been booked under IPC sections 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 376 (punishment for rape), 499 (defamation), 500 (punishment for defamation), 506(1) and 506 (2) (punishment for criminal intimidation); sections 66A (punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service, etc), 66E (punishment for violation of privacy) and 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of The Information Technology Act; relevant sections of SC/ST (PoA) Act pertaining to punishments for offences atrocities; and section 4 (penalty for harassment of woman) of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act.