Man booked for issuing rape threat against Vijay Sethupathi’s daughter

NIRMAL YESODA

The Chennai police have booked a man for issuing rape threats against Vijay Sethupathi’s daughter. The man who goes by the Twitter handle @itsrithikrajh had issued rape threats, after a biopic of Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was announced with Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role.

The arrested man has been identified Rithik Raj, and he has been charged under multifarious sections that include, 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot, enmity) and 294(b) (using obscene language) of the IPC and Section 67(b) of the IT Act (punishment for publishing material depicting children in a sexually explicit act, in electronic form).

“There has been a lot of concern on social media regarding the comments made online against a celebrity. On receipt of complaints to this effect, a case has been registered in the cyber cell,” said Mahesh Kumar, Chennai city police commissioner.

It was recently that Movie Train Motion Pictures, and Dar Motion Pictured announced 800 with Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role. However, things did not go as planned, as netizens lashed out at the actor for playing the role of Muralitharan who had allegedly supported the Sri Lankan government during the civil war against LTTE.

As controversies reached new heights, Muralitharan himself issued a statement, and requested Vijay Sethupathi to opt-out of the film.

“Due to misconception, several people were pressing actor Vijay Sethupathi to drop out of 800 the film. I don’t want one of the finest actor’s in Tamil Nadu to face any trouble. Hence I request him to drop out of the project. There should be no obstacles for Vijay Sethupathi in the future because of this movie,” wrote Muralitharan in the statement.