On October 27, Malayalam actor and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi made an unwanted gesture towards a woman journalist from Kozhikode, Kerala, Indiaduring an interview. According to reports, the journalist had asked Gopi a question, when he placed his hand on her shoulder, called her “mole” or daughter, and began his answer. Despite her objections, he continued to touch her, at which point she pushed his hand away.

The journalist has filed a complaint with the Kerala law enforcement, after which the former politician was summoned by the police and asked to appear before an investigating officer. On November 15, Gopi was produced before an investigating officer and was questioned by police for over two hours related to sexual harassment charges under the Indian Penal Code.

Journalist unions and organisations have condemned the harassment, with the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) stating its intentions to file a complaint against Gopi with the women's commission for “misbehaviour”. The Coalition for Women in Journalism has welcomed the journalists’ decision to take legal action, stating that sexual harassment should not go unaddressed.

Following the initial reporting of the incident, Gopi tendered an apology through a Facebook post to the journalist adding that he had only behaved in an ‘affectionate manner’. “If she felt bad about my behaviour, her feelings should be respected. I tender an apology towards her if she had felt badly about my behaviour. Sorry.”

The IFJ said:“The IFJ strongly condemns this incident as it has zero tolerance against harassment in the workplace. The local government should conduct awareness campaigns and frame a code of conduct for members of parliament when interacting with journalists, especially women journalists so that such incidents are not repeated in the future.”