PTI, CHENNAI: In an embarrassment for Tamil Nadu police, a well-known editor of a vernacular weekly was arrested Tuesday on a complaint from Raj Bhavan over articles that allegedly disparaged Governor Banwarilal Purohit but walked free within hours after a court rejected the police’s plea for his remand.
R Gopal, the editor of Tamil magazine ‘Nakkheeran’, who had written articles on a sex scandal involving a woman college teacher, was picked up by police from the airport here before he could board a flight to Pune, officials said.
As he walked free from police custody, Gopal thanked the court and the media fraternity for “standing by freedom of expression and freedom of press”. He also thanked political leaders including DMK president MK Stalin for support.
Gopal was arrested under Section 124 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which relates to “assaulting President, Governor etc with intent to compel or restrain the exercise of any lawful power”.
Gopal’s advocate said application of section 124 was challenged in a city court where he was produced after arrest.
