THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A court in Ernakulam on Thursday denied bail to businessman Boby Chemannur and remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days in connection with the sexual harassment complaint filed by Malayalam actor Honey Rose.
Boby, arrested on Wednesday from Mepadi in Wayanad district, was produced before the Ernakulam First Class Judicial Magistrate court. After denying the bail, he was shifted to Kakkanad sub-jail.
The businessman reportedly swooned in the court after denial of bail and was taken to Ernakulam General Hospital for a medical examination. His associates told mediapersons that Boby's blood pressure shot up and he felt exhausted.
The businessman reiterated that he had not done anything wrong that warranted an apology from his side. His counsel while arguing for bail, stated that Boby was willing to cooperate with the probe.
The prosecution opposed the bail pointing out the serious nature of the allegations against the businessman. It further stated that Boby's actions amounted to serious offence and pleaded with the court to deny bail to him.
Kerala police arrested the businessman on Wednesday, after Honey Rose, a prominent Malayalam actor, accused him of making repeated sexually inappropriate remarks that insulted womanhood.
A case was registered against Boby on Tuesday under section 75 (1), (4) (sexually coloured remarks) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material through electronic media) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The actor had also recorded her statement in camera before the Ernakulam judicial first class magistrate court.
In her complaint, Rose highlighted the incident at the inauguration of the Chemmanur Jewellery store in Alakode, Kannur on August 7 where she was subjected to unacceptable behaviour. She also shared her experiences of facing problems on various platforms after the incident.
The actor has also lodged complaints against at least 20 YouTubers for using obscene thumbnails featuring her image in their videos. She has resolved to stand up against harassment and exploitation.
Based on her complaint, the police had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.
Honey Rose thanked chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Kerala police for intervening strongly in the matter.
"I and my family express my heartfelt gratitude to Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, who heads the Kerala government for taking action by giving me a strong assurance in my fight for the protection of the citizens promised by the Constitution of India."
The actor had posted a strong message on social media against Boby and his followers. "You may believe in the power of your wealth, but I trust India's legal system."
