An FIR has been registered against former TV news reader and Tamil theatre artiste T.V. Varadharajen for his viral video in which he spoke of shortage of beds for COVID-19 patients in the state. In the self-shot video, he had spoken of a friend who had contracted COVID-19 in Chennai.
Varadharajen has been booked under sections 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 505(1)(b)(spreading misinformation with intent to cause fear or alarm to public), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and provisions of Epidemic Diseases Act and Disaster Management Act, the Indian Express reported.
“He is very close to my family. He had problems breathing and it looked like a corona attack. But, there were no beds at hospitals. All big hospitals and government hospitals in Chennai told the family not to get him to the hospital. They said they can’t provide treatment. We sought help at the government secretary level, and we even spoke with owners, MDs, chairman of hospitals. Nobody could help us. They all are very frank,” he said about his friend’s ordeal in the emotional video.
As the video went viral, Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Minister C. Vijay Baskar held a press conference to counter the claims of Varadharajan and publicly warned of legal action.
The News Minute reported that Varadharajen later posted another video in which he said, “I sent the video to my friends in the theatre WhatsApp group but it was circulated widely. The State and the Central government are working full-fledgedly and we need to cooperate.”