Thiruvananthapuram : Police have launched probe against Asianet for fabricating fake news using underage girl, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the Assembly. The sexual exploitation at hands of fellow students as narrated by 14-year-old girl on Asianet channel has been found to be fake. The said interwee was broadcast on Asianet on 10th Nov 2022, . In the interview a girl in school uniform, with her back turned to the camera, tells Asianet’s Kannur correspondent Noufal Bin Yusuf, that she had been sexually assaulted by fellow students multiple times and further that, more than 10 in her school have been molested similarly.
Following the broadcast, the Kannur City Police canvassed the girl in question and other fellow students to learn of the incident. However, nobody seemed to have knowledge of it.
Meanwhile, the father of another student had lodged complaint on his daughter having been molested by a fellow student. The Kannur Town Police had pursued that case and filed chargesheet following investigations.
Incidentally, police can suo motto register a case under POCSO if a minor claims abuse on a channel interview. Kannur City Police’s inquiry at the school was in this regard.
At the same time, if police actually comes up on some evidence of such happening, not having reported the knowledge of sexual crime when the girl disclosed it, is an offence under under Sec 21 R/W 19 of POCSO Act. Inquiry is currently in progress over a complaint that seeks action against Asianet Channel under POCSO provisions on that count, said CM in reply to a query raised by MLA P.V. Anwar.
