YouTuber Maridhas remanded in Chennai in connection with fake email case

He has been remanded to judicial custody until Dec 27; the case involves the News18 group

YouTuber Maridhas was remanded to judicial custody by a city court until December 27, in connection with a case registered by the Cyber Crime Wing of the Chennai City Police, on a complaint about forging an e-mail purported to be that of an associate executive editor of the News18 media group.

The Cyber Crime Wing filed the FIR last year, under sections of 465, 469, 471, and 66 (B) r/w 43 of the Information Technology Act following a complaint from Vinay Sarawagi, Associate Executive Editor, News18 group.

Mr. Sarawagi said, on July 5, Mr. Maridhas posted a video on his YouTube channel, wherein he alleged that ‘News 18 Tamilnadu’ television channel was operated by supporters of either Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) or Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and that they were actively pursuing an anti-Hindu agenda. The complainant alleged that about 2,500 people emailed the company/channel at the instigation of Mr. Maridhas, making similar false and baseless allegations which were received at its Chennai office.

In another You Tube video, Mr. Maridhas displayed an e-mail which was allegedly sent to him by Mr. Sarawagi, wherein it was shown that the latter on behalf of the management of the channel, accepted the allegations levelled against him in Mr. Maridhas’s earlier YouTube video. Mr. Sarwagi had said that the e-mail was not sent by him and that it was forged with the intention to spread fake news and cause damage and harm the reputation of the channel.

The Cyber Crime Wing police on Saturday formally arrested Mr. Maridhas who was lodged in Theni prison after he was arrested by the Madurai City Police in connection with another case.

Mr. Maridhas was brought to Chennai and produced by the police before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate N.Kothandaraj in Egmore court complex on Monday. He was remanded to custody until the 27th of this month.

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