Kerala Director General of Police Anil Kant on Tuesday directed Thiruvananthapuram Police Commissioner Sparjan Kumar to register a case against the crew of ‘The Kerala Story‘ for allegedly portraying the state as a safe haven for terrorists. A trailer for the film released earlier this month claimed that more than 32,000 women from the southern state had converted and most of them had been taken to Islamic State-controlled areas in Syria and Afghanistan over a decade. The film was directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by VA Shah.
Two days ago, Tamil Nadu-based journalist BR Arvindakshan wrote to the head of the country’s Board of Film Certification, Prasoon Joshi, and others, asking them to ban the film unless the makers provide enough evidence to support their claims. A copy of the complaint was also sent to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, who later forwarded it to the DGP.
“I have mailed Kerala CM and DGP requesting them to call ‘The Kerala Story’ director Sudipto Sen and investigate the veracity of the teaser,” Arvindakshan wrote on his Twitter handle. Later, in a letter, the CM said that the film was against the unity and integrity of the country, which will also tarnish the intelligence agencies.
After examining the trailer, the police found that many claims were made without any substance or evidence and were intended to tarnish the image of the state and incite hatred between different communities. A senior police officer said a case has been registered under Sections 153 A and B (promoting disharmony and enmity between different groups based on faith) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The film was said to be based on four missing women from northern Kerala who were later traced to Afghan jails following the reported deaths of their husbands. Two years ago, the State Department refused permission for them to return to the country. The trailer featured a veiled woman who identified herself as Shalini Unnikrishnan alias Fathima Ba from Kerala and said “she was one of the 32,000 women converts from the state and later sent to Syria and Yemen to fight for the Islamic State”.
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