Honey Rose Sexual Harassment Case: Prominent Businessman Boby Chemmanur Arrested
Renowned businessman Boby Chemmanur was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Wednesday in connection with a sexual harassment complaint filed by Malayalam actor Honey Rose, police said. He was taken into custody from Wayanad and transported to Kochi the same evening.
Visuals aired by news channels showed a police team intercepting Chemmanur’s car at a tea estate in Wayanad. He was subsequently moved to a police camp in Puthurvayal before being driven to Kochi in a journey that lasted around seven hours. Upon reaching Kochi, the arrest was formally recorded at the Central Police Station around 7:30 pm.
The SIT, constituted by Kochi city police, had booked Chemmanur under non-bailable sections based on Honey Rose’s allegations. Police charged him under Section 75(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for making sexually coloured remarks, and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act for transmitting obscene material electronically.
In her complaint, Honey Rose accused Chemmanur of making repeated sexually inappropriate remarks. Speaking to the media, the actor expressed relief over the arrest, describing it as a “peaceful day.” She revealed that she had raised the issue with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who assured her of action. In a subsequent Facebook post, she thanked the CM and Kerala Police for their support.
“These days, one doesn’t need weapons to harm someone. A barrage of vile, cruel, and obscene comments on social media is enough,” Honey wrote. She criticized orchestrated online harassment and expressed gratitude for the state’s assistance in her fight for justice.
The controversy first surfaced on Sunday when Honey posted on Facebook about being stalked and harassed online, though she initially refrained from naming the culprit. After receiving offensive comments on her post, she approached the police. On Tuesday, Honey publicly identified Chemmanur as the accused and warned others with similar mindsets of legal action.
Meanwhile, Chemmanur denied the allegations, claiming his interactions with Honey had been friendly and devoid of any derogatory remarks. Honey, known for her performances in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films, has stood firm in her fight against sexual harassment.
The Kochi Central Police have also registered a case against 30 individuals for posting offensive comments on social media, arresting one of them. Investigations are ongoing.
