After A Mediation Brokered By N Ram Of The Hindu, A Tamil Tabloid Apologises To TN Governor For Its Slanderous Campaign

Nakkeeran, a Tamil tabloid close to DMK leadership and notorious for its mix of gossip, salacious stories, inflammatory language and sensationalism, issued an apology to Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit for running a campaign of calumny against him.

The apology was offered as a part of a deal mediated by N.Ram, Chairman of Kasturi & Sons Limited and Publisher of The Hindu.

In Oct 2018, R R Gopal, the founder-editor of Nakkeeran, was arrested for publishing a series of reports that made slanderous references to Governor Banwarilal Purohit. Gopal was charged under section 124 of IPC for publishing fake/derogatory news about the Governor of Tamil Nadu.

In an attempt to malign the governor, Nakkeeran insinuated in one of its reports that Purohit and his secretary, R Rajagopal, had links to Nirmala Devi, an assistant professor of Devanga Arts College in Aruppukottai, in Virudhunagar district. Nirmala Devi was arrested in April 2018 on the basis of an audio clip in which she is heard asking girl students to extend sexual favours to officials of education department in return for marks and money.

During the bail hearing, a local court had allowed senior journalist N Ram to speak on behalf of the media, along with Gopal’s lawyers.

The Madras High Court later directed the lower court to file a report explaining under what statutory provision did he allow N Ram to make a submission in a local court for the release of R R Gopal.

Gopal shot to prominence after with his interview of notorious sandalwood brigand, Veerappan. He also meditated between the smuggler and the governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu when the forest brigand had abducted late Kannada movie superstar Rajkumar.