In a major development concerning the assertions made by Youtuber Maridhas against the journalists of News 18 Tamil Nadu network based on the email circulated under the name of Vinay Sarawagi, the Chennai Cyber Crime Branch has booked a case based on the complaint moved by the Network 18 group, which stated that the email circulated was a fake and forged, and it has damaged the reputation of the company.

The case has been filed on Friday under the grounds of forgery, damage to reputation and IT act. However, the FIR hasn't named Maridhas and it reads the case has been filed against unnamed people for creating and circulating a fake email, which the Network18 has claimed the mail as forged in a way that it was sent by Vinay Sarawagi, who is the Associate Executive Editor of News18 network.

Vinay Sarawagi has moved his complaint to the Crime Branch in which he claimed that the fake email under his name has damaged his reputation. Sarawagi stated that Youtuber Maridhas has published a video on his official Youtube channel in which he claimed that the News 18 Tamil Nadu network has been operated by the supporters of Dravidar Kazhagam and Dravida Munnetra Kazagam.

The Youtuber went on to say that the channel has been functioning as anti-India, anti-BJP, and executing anti-Hindu propaganda for the past four years. The Youtuber further called the people who support the Hindu religion to approach the Network 18 group through the mail and to move their complaints against the anti-Hindu group that run the News 18 Tamil Nadu.

Sarawagi further mentioned that about 2,500 people have sent a mail to the network's Chennai branch with accord to the false allegations spread by Maridhas. The Editor added in his complaint that the Youtuber has reportedly published a tweet in his official handle through which he asserted to the viewers that the News 18 group has accepted the allegations spread by him against the News 18 Tamil Nadu channel. 

Following his tweet, Maridhas has on July 10 released another video in which he has posted a screenshot of a mail that he claimed was sent by Vinay Sarawagi. By having the mail, the YouTuber kept pressing to the viewers that Sarawagi has responded back to his allegations and accepted that all allegations against the News 18 Tamil Nadu are true. 

However, after Maridhas avowed that his assertions are true, News18 Associate Executive Editor Vinay Sarawagi has clarified that the mail under his name was forged and fabricated. Following the development, Sarawagi has moved his complaint to the Crime Branch and on Friday- July 24, the crime branch has booked a case. 

In his complaint, Sarawagi further stated that the email displayed by Maridhas in his video was forged with the motive of spreading fake news and damaging the reputation of the Network 18 and its editors and staff in Chennai. He added that Maridhas has made a fake document and plotted in a way that looks like the editor has sent a mail to him. 

Based on the complaint, the Chennai Crime Branch has booked a case on Friday against the unnamed people under sections 465 -punishment for forgery, 469- harming reputation- 471 using a forged document, and sections 43 and 66B of the IT Act 2000. According to the reports, the crime branch hasn't named Maridhas or anyone else in the case as the initial investigation would be on identifying who created the forged email address and sent the fake mail.

Must-read: 'WHAT MARIDHAS TOLD IS FALSE' - NETWORK18, THE GROUP GOES TO POLICE AGAINST THE YOUTUBER!