Chennai economist and Madras Institute of Development Studies associate professor A Kalaiyarasan has complained to Tamil Nadu Director General of Police Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal after plainclothes policemen took him from his Adyar residence for questioning over an abusive Instagram post he said was published by a fake account using his photograph.
According to Kalaiyarasan’s account, three policemen arrived at his home at about 5am on Wednesday and asked him to accompany them to Sankar Nagar police station in Pammal. He said he was taken away in his nightclothes and was not shown a complaint, first information report or any document authorising the inquiry.
The post allegedly targeted Pallavaram TVK MLA J Kamatchi. Kalaiyarasan, who is also the author of The Dravidian Model, told police that he did not own the social media account and had no connection with the post. He said the account carried his photograph and used the username @youvijayamani.
Kalaiyarasan said he repeatedly asked for his phone during the journey so he could contact his family, but was allowed to inform friends only later. The vehicle stopped near Pallavaram for around 45 minutes before the police received instructions to take him back home, according to his complaint.
He said police showed him the account during the return journey and later asked him to submit a written statement denying ownership before returning his phone. He reached home at about 7.45am, nearly three hours after leaving his residence.
“I felt harassed and humiliated,” Kalaiyarasan said, questioning how police could take someone away in the early hours without first giving him an opportunity to explain the allegation. In his complaint to the DGP, he sought action against the personnel involved and raised concerns about alleged unlawful detention and the misuse of his identity online.
The police gave a different account of the episode. Sankar Nagar inspector Rajasekar said Kalaiyarasan was taken for questioning because the social media account bore his name and photograph. The inspector denied the allegations of harassment and said the economist was taken home after police established that he was not connected with the account.
The incident highlights the difficulty faced by citizens when photographs and names are used on social media accounts without authorisation. It also places scrutiny on how police conduct preliminary inquiries involving online content, particularly when the person whose identity appears on an account denies having created or operated it.
Kalaiyarasan suspected that the photograph may have been taken from the Harvard University website, where he had previously served as a research affiliate. The complaint to the DGP seeks action against those responsible for the alleged harassment and identity misuse. The police have not indicated any further action against Kalaiyarasan.
