Woman journalist harassed online, TN Police apathetic

Upset women journalists ask Chief Minister Jayalalitha to intervene in the case

By Team FI

An association of women journalists in India has written a letter to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, J. Jayalalitha, calling her attention to the online harassment of a Chennai based woman journalist, Kavin Malar.

According to the letter issued by Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), Kavin Malar, a journalist with India Today, has been subjected to character assassination and abusive messages on Facebook for over a month by one Mr Kishore K Swamy. The letter states that Swamy, a self-proclaimed AIADMK supporter, is “repeatedly posting abusive messages on Facebook targeting Kavin Malar’s professional work, her personal character and wilfully attempting to malign her reputation in society as well as in the media.”

The letter alleges that the Chennai police has not taken any action on the complaint filed on May 13, 2013, beyond calling Kavin for an enquiry.

Kishore K Swamy, a self-proclaimed AIADMK supporter is said be a habitual online harasser who particularly targets women journalists- Photo courtesy: Facebook

Kishore K Swamy, a self-proclaimed AIADMK supporter is said be a habitual online harasser who particularly targets women journalists- Photo courtesy: Facebook

Kavin told FeminsitsIndia that she suspects Swamy has chosen to target her primarily because she is a woman and also because she has written often on Dalit issues. According to Kavin, the abuse began soon after her visit to Marakkanam, a small town near Chennai to report on an incident of caste violence that took place in April this year. Soon after, Swamy began posting abusive comments against her on his Facebook wall. Swamy alleged that Kavin used a criminal’s vehicle to travel to Marakkanam and then went to a nearby luxurious bungalow to have sex and smoke cannabis.

“This man writes that I have connection with a criminal, whose name I have not even heard before. He accuses me of traveling to Marakkanam in this criminal’s car. Is India Today not capable of arranging a cab to its employee? He is writing almost daily about me in obscene language. These abuses are too personal and he is intruding into my personal life,” says Kavin.

Online harassment against women is on the rise in India. Earlier this year, in April, activist Kavita Krishnan was threatened with rape during a discussion on the anti-rape movement in India on an online chat forum organised by Rediff.com, a leading Indian news portal. In 2012, Meena Kandasamy, a young poet, was subjected to a violent hate campaign on Twitter which also called for her gang rape. This was in reaction to her supporting Dalit students at a beef eating festival in Hyderabad last year.

20 comments to “Woman journalist harassed online, TN Police apathetic”
  1. CM should interfere in this issue and must take severe actions like banning these kinda sadists permanently from using social networks. We need serious deworming in the internet world. Hats off to kavin malar.

  2. Mr.kishore is a decent guy and always speaks truth. Ms.kavin you need prove yourself and not put the blame on him.

    You had earlier commented Ms.Jayalalita that devil is ruling tamilnadu, please dont forget it.

  3. finaly they took the asthiram called woman.. what about the so called journalist writings in FB ..its very bad

  4. When you point finger against someone you should have evidence. Put the evidence and then abuse the person. Without evidence anyone could point fingers against anyone in online world. You should also ask clarification from the person whom you’re complaining. Without that no one would believe your opinions.

  5. I am also read his all post.. I dont know its true or not. But he never showed single proof about this issue

  6. Some one has misused my name Siddhan cbe here..

    It was not me who commented above..
    What ever its commented here shall not be considered as mine
    ..
    Fake rascals who misuse my name can comment in their original name. And can come and meet me if he dare to..

    I will not be responsible for any comment here anymore..

    I am not the one certify kishor samy and his activities..

    Siddhan cbe http://www.facebook.com/nandhu.cbe

  7. He is a supporter of ruling party. That y the guy freely and repeatedly posting abusive
    messages on Facebook targeting
    Kavin Malar. Still now tn police also never take any action against him. The Fascist must be severely punished. That’s all we want!

  8. From what I read in FB, if she doesn’t agree with Kishore’s claims and wants to refute them, she could file a case of defamation ( i never saw any castist or sexist comments related to her).

    Any question will have an answer; those answered it need not go to court (or atleast i don’t see the necessity). I feel her ego (along with that of others who target him) is dragging the issue to the courts which is otherwise silly.

    All are my personal views and am not influenced by others to write this!

  9. If slandering someone just because she is a woman and linking her viciously with her colleagues, is not sexist, i pray what else is? people commenting on this link in favor of Kishore K swamy seem to be either carried away or with a poor understanding of issues… both of which is dangerous..

  10. This Lady so called journalist dont have the guts or knowledge to face the accusation, and she is repetitively saying that’s her personal and privacy and bla bla bla, she must understand something, one who come to public forum or who represent a magazine she must be ready to face all kinds of critics and you write articals about the public issues and other stuffs people will tell their comments and critics that’s how this system works. through that only she can enhance her career, but here lost the creditability by acting this kind. she think she very smart and if she sexual harassment police ll close their eyes and arrest anyone its sooo childish. grow up kavin malar.

  11. Kavin Malar is known to abuse Brahmins and write all sorts of nonsense against them calling Chief Minister Jayalalitha as devil. She should be punished first and not Swamy. Her writings are always one sided and pathetically ill informed and sometimes biased. She is a open follower of DMK, Veeeramani and Periyar parties and what right she has got to file a complaint against Swamy. Her writings on Marakannam were one sided and with an agenda and media persons are not above law and their actions can be questioned. She has used foul language in Tamil and now its escapism to hide under the petticoat of women journalists after calling for equality in gender. What did the women journalists association do when news anchor of Sun TV Akila was sexually harassed by News Editor Manmatha Raja day in and day out and all of the pleas of Akila fell on deaf years and did Kavin Malar wrote on the injustice meted out to Akila? Its a shame to pretend to be a journalist and do all kids of nefarious acts

  12. When SUN TV News Reader Akila complained against its News Editor for harassment and abuse , no one came in support of her . Most of the media were scared to publish her story , she lost her job . Where were this women groups , media association and rest of the elites when she was harassed ?

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