Kerala Police have registered a criminal case against an 85-year-old man for allegedly publishing abusive and defamatory remarks targeting Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and veteran leader Sonia Gandhi across a private WhatsApp group.
Police identified the accused as Raveendranathan Nair, a resident of Thycaud in Thiruvananthapuram. The formal first information report stems directly from a written complaint filed by a local Congress leader on November 4. Nair allegedly circulated the contentious messages within a digital messaging circle titled 'Trivandrum Club Seniors Forum TVM Club'—a forum populated by prominent local club patrons.
The post sat visible to dozens of members. And investigators moved swiftly once the complaint landed.
According to the FIR registered at the Thiruvananthapuram City Cyber Crime Police Station, the accused deliberately disseminated abusive comments intended to assassinate the character of the two senior political figures and diminish their public reputation. Police booked Nair under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) alongside penal sections of the Information Technology Act governing offensive digital communications.
| Case Parameter | Official Status |
|---|---|
| Accused | Raveendranathan Nair (85) |
| Residence | Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Forum Involved | 'Trivandrum Club Seniors Forum TVM Club' WhatsApp group |
| Complaint Lodged | November 4, 2024 |
| Investigating Agency | Thiruvananthapuram City Cyber Crime Police Station |
| Legal Provisions | Sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) & IT Act |
Police officials confirmed that cyber forensic teams have extracted the relevant message threads and metadata from the group to substantiate the chain of transmission. Investigators are scheduled to question Nair and examine the handset used to transmit the text as procedural formalities progress toward a formal chargesheet.