Defamatory post: CPI State secretary Binoy Viswam lodges complaint with Cyber Cell

Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Binoy Viswam has lodged a complaint with the Cyber Cell seeking action against a social media post which alleged that his family members have British citizenship.

In a statement, the CPI described the Facebook post, which reportedly stated that his wife and two daughters have British citizenship, as baseless, defamatory and meant to tarnish Mr. Viswam’s public image. Mr. Viswam’s wife and two daughters hold Indian passports, the statement said.

The post was reportedly uploaded by a person hailing from Anchal.

The statement went on to note that Mr. Viswam’s wife Shaila C. George is a retired officer of the South Malabar Gramin Bank and an author. Their elder daughter, who is a journalist, is currently pursuing her PhD in Paris. Their younger daughter is a lawyer at the Kerala High Court and a Government Pleader. All three of them hold Indian passports.

Since all this information is also available in the public domain, the Facebook post was purposefully aimed at defaming and insulting them, Mr. Viswam and his family allege.

Mr. Viswam and his family have sought stern action against the individual responsible for the post under the relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.