Police books case against Dr Kantaraj for making defamatory comments on actresses calling them ‘casting couch’

Tamil Nadu police which had arrested and slapped Goondas act against you tuber SAvukku Shankar for making comments on women police, did not bother to act on the you tuber Mukthar’s interview with Dr Kanatharaj, who made obscene and disparaging comments on the charactors of film actresses who were ready to sleep with anyone for money and fame.

You tuber Savukku Shankar was arrested by the Tamil Nadu Police for allegedly making derogatory and objectionable remarks about senior cops and women police personnel of the southern state. After the arrest, the stringent Goondas Act was also invoked in the case. The HC revoked his detention.

For the same police machinery Dr Kantharaj’s comments did not deserve any action.  Following a video of his giving interview to one you controversial tuber Mukhar Ahmed.  In that Dr Kantharaj, brother of former Assembly Speaker K Rajaram – a staunch Dravidianist has made abusive and objectifying comments on women, actres. Kantharaj, a sex doctor, dabbles as a political analyst, his commentaries have been peddling hate against Brahmins and Hinds while attacking opposition parties like the BJP, RSS and AIADMK. His recent statements have crossed beyond all permissible limits,  saying the sexual harassment faced by women in the film industry as  they willingly agreed to be  ‘casting couch’.

 In that video, it can be seen, Mukthar Ahmed started with the question, “Have you heard of ‘Adjustment’?” To which Dr. Kantharaj responded that he was indeed familiar with the term. Mukthar then asked if he had been approached for an adjustment, to which Kantharaj replied that it wasn’t necessary as the matter was settled by mutual consent, thus no adjustment was needed. Mukthar countered, questioning whether this was not wrong, and Kantharaj suggested that Mukthar’s criticism stemmed from his own lack of opportunity.

Dr. Kantharaj said, “It’s all part of life; is this really an issue? It’s like the saying, ‘The stork that waits patiently at the sluice head leaves the small sprats alone and waits for the larger fish.’ We weren’t like that stork; we pursued the small sprats until the larger fish arrived.”

Dr. Kantharaj said  “They are claiming after 30 years that they have been ruined (sexually abused)… So, shall I not claim that 30 years ago, I also ruined some?” Mukthar interjected, “All are field out.” Dr. Kantharaj replied, “Yes, all are expired.” Mukthar continued, “Now they are speaking up.” To which Dr. Kantharaj retorted, “All these rusty goods are now sitting and claiming they have been abused. Is this even a topic? I find it laughable.”

Dr. Kantharaj said that the medical profession also has its own “adjustments,” comparable to those in the film industry, suggesting that the nature of adjustments in both fields is similar.  He also mocked the film actresses who had voiced their experiences of sexual harassment. He claimed that their allegations of being asked to “adjust” were not instances of sexual harassment but rather reinterpreted the abuse in a more favourable light.

He said, “You share  bed and get paid for it, only to later don a chastity mask. What’s fair in that?”.. Actresses who now complain of sexual harassment are merely trying to regain their lost market iamge”.

Mukthar Ahmed the anchor also equally provoked Kantharaj with his own inflammatory remarks, expressing personal satisfaction as he shared his unfiltered views.   Kantharaj claimed that actresses entering the film industry must comply with various forms of “adjustments” related to the “casting couch.”

He asked, “Why are you shooting a rain drenching scene in a white dress, only to show the body right. In a bathing scene in the river, when she comes out of the river the body will be transparent”.  He said he had never seen Jayalalitha with dress and Jyothika, wife of act Surya, plunged into obscenity for film opportunities. They specifically targeted former chief ministers MGR and J. Jayalalitha from the AIADMK and Radhika Sarath Kumar,

They also targeted actress Shakeela, pointing out that she had acted in adult only films in the past and was now complaining about sexual harassment in the industry. They criticized MGR and Shivaji Ganesan with Kantharaj specifically targeting MGR. He claimed that MGR had included the most explicit content in his films, yet all the women voted for him and actresses performed glamorous roles in his movies..

 He said that the difference between a sex worker and an actress is that while sex workers are considered inferior, actresses are seen as superior and are treated as leaders.

The story of Sabarimala Ayyappan is mentioned, with the claim that he was born from a homosexual union. The Tamil New Year, celebrated in April, is framed as a celebration of homosexuality, allegedly initiated by Vishnu and Naratha, who are said to have given birth to 60 babies. Kantharaj said  Diwali, the tale of Satyabhama killing Narakasura is cited as its origin. Narakasura, according to this account, was the son of Satyabhama and Lord Krishna. However, since Satyabhama and Krishna had no children, the question arises, Who was Narakasura’s true father?

Muthar is seen with CM MK Stalin and his son cum Minister Udhaya Nidhi Stain in various pictures.

Neither Mukthar nor the Kantharaj had no guts to talk about the marriage of EV Ramaswamy naicker with his step daughter Maniammai , half of his age and his sexual life in his earlier life.

On 13 September 2024, Actress Rohini Molleti has filed a criminal complaint with the City Police Commissioner’s office  against Dr. Kantharaj, accusing him of making inappropriate and insulting remarks about actresses

Rohini has requested legal action against Dr. Kantharaj and the removal of the video from YouTube. Police has filed an FIR based on her complaint.

• By TS Venkatesan

The two incidents on demolition of a Church and taking back the possession of encroached Christian school made possible with the court intervention.  In the first case, church built on Raghavan Canal at Parugampattu near Thiruvennainallur in Villupuram district was finally razed down on 16^th despite stiff opposition from Christian community who thronged the area in large numbers and occupied the entire building that was to be pulled down by bulldozers.

Exactly 21 days ago, authorities face resistance from the local Christians in removing the church structure, Hindu Munnani accused the Tamil Nadu government of applying different standards to religious structures.  It  said  DMK government has a history of demolishing Hindu temples- some say over 250 after it came to power in 2021 , claiming that they were built on public land. However, these officials are reluctant to act against an illegal church built on a canal and illegal mosques in the light of courts.  Supreme Court y affirmed a Madras High Court directive ordering the demolition of Chennai’s famous mosque in Koyambedu, deeming the structure “completely illegally constructed” in the case of Masjid-e-Hidayah and Madarassa vs  N Dinakaran. In fact a large number of government buildings were built on Hindu Temple lands.

In the case on hand is pertains to Villupuram, on August 18^th  local Christian community had staged protests at the district collector’s office, demanding that the church not be demolished. This protest resulted in delays from the Villupuram district administration in addressing the issue.

The situation has sparked criticism, especially in light of the Tamil Nadu government’s earlier actions to demolish Hindu temples located in public spaces under the guise of enforcing regulations. However, there seems to be a reluctance to apply the same standards to Christian churches. This disparity has raised questions about fairness and consistency in the government’s approach.

Hindu Munnani has questioned the government’s double standards in dealing with encroachments. It said  “The Tamil Nadu government, which demolished Hindu temples in many places claiming they were in government land, refuses to dispose of the Church now. Why is the government refusing to demolish the church illegally built on a canal?”  The HC has in an order in August ordered the district administration to pull down illegal structure that was built on a water body and submit a report following a petition from a resident of the village.

On Monday (16^th September) police, fire and rescue, revenue authorities  came to carry out the court orders armed with giant bulldozers, again the local Christians tried to prevent them from razing down the illegal church.  The officials told them in plain language that the HC has ordered demolition of the church as it was built  on water canal and the 21days time given to them was over. The dissatisfied and angered Christian locals blocked the road lead to the church and offered mass prayers to prevent officials from demolishing. A heavy posse of police detained them and released the after the demolition drive in the evening.

In another action, the government armed with court orders reclaimed the  leased 5 acres and encroached 20 acres of land from St. John’s Educational Trust in Pazhanjure near Chennai.  According to media reports,  the St. John’s International Residency School , affiliated to CBSE pattern in Poonamallee, had originally got 5 acres of land ( survey no. 371/1) on lease in 1993 for a period of 20 years. The  lease had expired in 2013. The school had 630 students and over 60 teaching plus a  dozen of non teaching staff.  After the expiry the lease period, the school refused to vacate and handover possession of the land in question. The district collector issued a lease cancellation notice which was contested in the High Court by the school management.  After the pandemic days, the school ceased its activities at the Poonamallee site and students were transferred to another school in Thiruvallur district.

When the Commissionerate of Land Adminstration (CLA) surveyed the site, they found the school had taken over 20 acres of government land illegally in addition to the five acres of leased land.  The land, according data,  is classified as Anadheenam ( not occupied – a government poramboke land.  They had built hostel, swimming pools, staff quarters, office, schools and other structures. The inspection also revealed the trust had built structures on the entire 25 acres of land and a case of pending lease amount of nearly Rs 22crore.  Following this, CLA in June 3^rd  last issued a notice to the trust asking them to hand over the entire 25 acres of land worth several crores ( some nearly  Rs.500 crores).  Acting on the orders, the revenue, police department officials on 16^th September took possession of the land.   Poonamallee Tehasildar led team has sealed the buildings in Pazhanjur village.

The government plans to use the entire building and other structures like class rooms after repairs and renovation to run a model school or a hospital instead of demolition that needs high cost.  The buildings have been lying unoccupied since 2021.

• By TS Venkatesan

Following pressure from Hindu Munnani, Tirunelveli police arrested a professor of government aided St. Xavier’s College in Palayamkottai, St. Xavier’s College Palayamkottai, on 14^th for allegedly talking a girl student in an obscene manner over phone and inviting her over for drinking liquor with him late at night a week ago.

According to media reports, 40 years old professor S Jebsastin from Tiruchendur and T Palraj from Thoothukudi both of Sociology department made the calls to the student in an inebriated stage on the night of 4^th September.

Palraj spoke to the girl student obscenely before handing over the phone to Jebastin who also made inappropriate comments and invited her to join them for drinks.  The student did not know how to react to their behaviour and made up her mind to inform her parents. She approached the police with a complaint. On Saturday , a special team arrested Jebastin in Thoothukudi while Palraj is on the run.

The story has a surprising twist. The parents of student informed the police they did not want to pursue the case and asked them to drop it , citing concerns that pursuing the matter might negatively impact their daughter’s studies. Accepting their request police has kept the complaint aside.  But following the news went viral in Social media and Hindu Munnani taking it up. police had to reopen the case. Hindu Munnani had threatened legal action if the professors were not arrested. Tirunelveli City Commissioner Rupesh Meena personally oversaw the investigation, which confirmed that both professors had indeed made inappropriate calls to the student.

The college was set up in 1923 by Rev. Fr. Jesuit, Madurai . The St. Xavier’s,  a Jesuit college of arts and science, and autonomous since June 1987, is an affiliated First Grade College of the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University which will award degrees with the name of St. Xavier’s College mentioned on them.This college, which has  over 4,000 students in its rolls, is known for its long-standing reputation and attracts students from various districts. The Palayamkottai campus, often called the Oxford of the South, is the main campus of this historic institution.

Palayamkottai police have charged the two professors under sections 74, 75, and 79(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for their obscene behavior towards the student. The scandal has shocked both the academic community and students, given the college’s esteemed reputation. Additionally, there have been reports of previous complaints against some professors at Saint Xavier College, raising concerns that further revelations may emerge as the investigation continues.

Only last week, Police arrested two male teachers Robert (48) and Nelson (55) on 11^th September on charges of sexually harassing boy students at an government aided  St John’s Higher Secondary school in Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli. The arrested teachers were taking classes for 7^th Standard students.

Police team spoke to the boys in the school , parents, staff and the accused teachers.  Police said the school management has placed Nelson , permanent staff, under suspension. Robert , a contract staff member has been sacked.