The propaganda efforts of The News Minute (TNM), a digital news outlet, and its journalists for misleading narrative-building in Tamil Nadu seem to know no bounds, even if it involves humanizing a convicted paedophile. In a classic display of opportunism, Dhanya Rajendran, the Editor-in-Chief of TNM, glorified a convicted paedophile or Child Sexual Abuser (CSA) who possessed Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) as a “PhD Scholar” and “Organic Farmer,” presenting a highly embellished image, as though the abuser were an activist fighting for a cause.
Dhanya Rajendran, on her official X account, glorified the paedophile as “A 36-year-old PhD scholar and an organic farmer from Thanjavur was sentenced to life for child sexual assault & distributing CSAM.”
A 36-year-old PhD scholar and an organic farmer from Thanjavur was sentenced to life for child sexual assault & distributing CSAM. @AzeefaFathima writes about how collaborative efforts by Google, Grindr & CBI busted him.https://t.co/PRjRhpkwem
— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) July 19, 2024
But that’s not all. TNM also held responsible Google and the dating app ‘Grindr’ for reporting the possession of CSAM and tipping off the CBI in India. This shameful false attribution of crime and misleading propaganda misrepresents the case’s timeline and facts. While Google indeed has the technology to flag such issues, the paedophile was already under the radar of the CBI.
CBI Investigations to Combat Child Sexual Abuse
Since 2022, the CBI has already contributed to Interpol’s ICSE database and carried out significant operations like Operation CARBON and Operation MEGHCHAKRA to combat online child sexual exploitation. The CBI’s investigation, which traced the CSAM to Thanjavur District, was part of this broader effort. The CBI had accessed the ICSE database, which India had recently joined, and conducted searches that uncovered incriminating electronic evidence at the accused man’s premises.
However, TNM, which is known to be a fervent leftist and Dravidianist propaganda outlet, has peddled this news as if an “organic farmer” and “PhD scholar” was arrested. In this case, they did not find the minor victims abused by the paedophile worthy of justice.
Who Is Child Sexual Abuser/Paedophile Victor James Raja?
Victor James Raja (35), hailing from Thanjavur district, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court under the POCSO Act for sexually assaulting children and sharing child pornography online.
Victor James Raja, who hails from Poondi Thoppu, has reportedly completed his M.Com and pursued a PhD in ecotourism. In a video published by Pasumai Vikatan of the Vikatan Group, they described him as a “farmer” who creates awareness about organic farming while pursuing his doctorate.
According to reports, Victor forced minor boys and girls from his place to perform sexual acts and recorded the same. Raja allegedly engaged in regular sexual exploitation of boys and girls between the ages of five and eighteen for approximately two years. Penetrative sexual assaults, digital recordings of sexual abuse, criminal intimidation of minor victims, and pressuring and inciting minor victims to engage in sexual activity with both the accused and other minor victims were among the acts of sexual exploitation. Additionally, the accused was using the kids (victims) to record porn.
Investigations into the case
The Interpol’s child sexual exploitation database contained several items related to child sexual abuse, including pictures and videos. The officials identified Victor James Raja through technical and forensic analysis. On 7 March 2023, they filed a case against him under the Information Technology Act of 2000 and the POCSO Act of 2012. The date of his arrest was 16 March 2023.
For sexual assault, penetrative sexual assault, aggravated penetrative sexual assault, using the child for pornographic purposes and abetment under the POSCO Act, rape of girls under the age of twelve, criminal intimidation, and publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in sexually explicit act in electronic form under the Information Technology Act, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Raja on 13 May 2023, before the Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases under POCSO Act, Thanjavur.
During the trial, officials questioned 34 witnesses and reviewed numerous documents and other evidence. Judge Sundarraj investigated the case and sentenced Victor James Raja to life imprisonment along with a fine of ₹6.54 lakh and suggested the government provide relief of ₹4 lakh each to the three affected boys and girls.
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