On June 18, the Supreme Court granted interim anticipatory bail to Kerala-based journalist T.P. Nandakumar, who was booked for allegedly publishing a defamatory and obscene video targeting a prominent woman politician on his YouTube channel “Crime Online.”
The bench comprising Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Prasanna B Varale, while hearing the matter during the Court’s partial working days, also issued notice on the plea seeking anticipatory bail.
“In the event of his arrest, the petitioner shall be enlarged on bail by the jurisdictional trial court, subject to furnishing bail and bonds to the satisfaction of the investigating officer,” the bench ordered.
Additionally, the top court directed Nandakumar to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
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The allegations stem from a video uploaded by Nandakumar on his YouTube channel that, according to the prosecution, contained sexually coloured, derogatory, and threatening statements aimed at tarnishing the image of a well-known woman political leader. The prosecution claimed the content was intended to insult the victim’s modesty and reputation.
As a result, an FIR was registered against him under the following provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023:
- Section 75(1)(iv) – for insulting the modesty of a woman,
- Section 79 – for issuing threats and intending reputational harm,
- Section 351(1)(2) – for electronically disseminating obscene material.
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He was also booked under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which deals with the publication or transmission of obscene content in electronic form.
Earlier, on June 9, 2025, the Kerala High Court had directed Nandakumar to surrender before the police, rejecting his plea for anticipatory bail. Challenging this order, he approached the Supreme Court.
The matter will be heard again after six weeks.
Case Title: Nandakumar T.P. v. State of Kerala & Anr., SLP(Crl) No. 9098/2025
