Suresh Gopi let off after questioning in improper touching of woman journalist case

Kozhikode, Nov 15 (IANS) All roads in Kozhikode on Wednesday led to the Nadakkavu Police Station as a mammoth crowd of BJP supporters and common citizens waited anxiously for the outcome of actor Suresh Gopi's questioning in the case related to the "improper touching" of a woman journalist.

After an anxious wait by the public for over two hours, the actor walked out of the police station at around 2.15 p.m.

The actor’s counsel told the media that the questioning was over and Suresh Gopi had been asked to go.

“I had come prepared with all the necessary documents for bail in case of arrest. But nothing of that sort happened and at the moment he has not been served any notice. So we will wait and see what the next action of the police would be,” said the lawyer.

At around 2.25 p.m., the star was driven out amidst huge applause from the crowd that had gathered outside the police station.

On seeing the crowd his driver stopped the car and the actor came out through the sun roof of the vehicle and expressed his thanks to the people.

“I am overwhelmed by the huge support I got from you and now I appeal to all of you, please do not put the police force under duress and please disburse from here at the earliest. I also thank the entire top leadership of the State BJP including President K Surendran and others who cancelled their meetings to come here to support me,” said Gopi.

Surendran who was present when Gopi emerged from the station told the media that the police were trying to intimidate the actor through this questioning.

Senior BJP leader Shobha Surendran reacted by saying that “everyone has seen what the case is and what’s there to question in it.”

Right from 9 a.m., supporters of the BJP, laymen and women were waiting for the top state BJP leaders to lead a protest march towards the Nadakkavu Police Station.

Surendran, while beginning the march said, “Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is jittery after the actor led a march supporting the depositors of the Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank at Thrissur. Vijayan's police have framed the actor in the case, but no one will be able to touch Gopi. The people are supporting him and this is nothing but a vindictive action by the police who are taking instructions from Vijayan's office."

By around noon, the actor arrived at the police station and the huge police force manning the station had a tough time allowing his car to enter the premises.

Dressed in a white shirt and sporting sunglasses, the actor who has played memorable roles as a police officer in his nearly four-decade-long film career, waved out to his supporters as he entered the station with his counsels.

"He is a god to us, we do not know what wrong he did, as we all saw the particular incident that led to this. He is such a nice person and we will not go from here till he is set free," said an angry woman.

Another woman said the complainant has to come clear on what wrong Gopi did.

"We are ready to meet her and find out about it. Things will go wrong if something untoward happens to Gopi," said a woman.

On October 27, Gopi, while addressing media persons, had placed his hand on the woman journalist's shoulder while responding to her questions. Following the incident, journalist bodies protested against the inappropriate behaviour of Gopi and demanded an apology.

Despite Gopi tendering an apology the next day, the issue snowballed into a heated discussion on the social media platforms leading to the woman journalist filing a complaint against the actor.

Gopi is all set to contest the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket and many of his supporters allege that Vijayan has done wrong by the actor.