Kerala Police Arrest Controversial YouTuber Aju Alex Over Allegedly Defamatory Remarks On Wayanad Landslide Visit

The Kerala Police on Friday (9 August) arrested controversial YouTuber Aju Alex for allegedly making "defamatory comments" about actor Mohanlal's recent visit to the landslide-affected Wayanad region.

Aju Alex, a native of Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta, runs a YouTube channel named "Chekuthan," which has 159,000 subscribers as per a report by The Indian Express.

The police took action following a complaint lodged by actor Siddique, the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA).

Mohanlal, who visited Wayanad on Saturday as a Lieutenant Colonel in the territorial army, donated Rs 3 crore to the relief and rehabilitation efforts. Alex, known for his controversial videos, reportedly criticised the actor's visit, claiming he "wasted others' time" and had "no self-respect." He also allegedly criticised the fund-raising efforts for Wayanad.

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The YouTuber has been booked under Section 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and Section 296(b) (uttering obscene words in or near any public place) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as Section 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act, 2011, which deals with causing a nuisance or violating public order through communication.

Reacting to the arrest, actor Siddique remarked that several YouTubers have a tendency to insult actors.

“Mohanlal has gone to Wayanad in his capacity as Lieutenant Colonel. He should be congratulated for that gesture. Instead, he was ridiculed and insulted in a dirty language. It should be opposed,” Siddique stated.

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