“There is no such thing as bad publicity.” This quote is often attributed to P.T. Barnum, a 19th century circus promoter and showman who used sensationalism and publicity stunts to draw crowds to his shows. In Kerala, nobody follows this better than businessman cum “kung fu fighter” cum sharp shooter cum “high jumper” cum “footballer” cum “fitness freak” Boby Chemmanur.
In the bio on his website, Chemmanur talks about himself in third person, saying “he creates history and makes news every other day. Well, today, the judiciary gave a partial stamp of approval to that claim—at least confirming that he is indeed been up to things to "make news every day."
Over the years, Chemmanur has pulled off various stunts to capture public attention, skifully tapping into the Malayali psyche. Some of his efforts have been hugely successful, such as when he brought football legend Maradona to Kerala, a state known for its football craze. But on January 14, one of his stunts backfired, drawing the ire of the Kerala High Court.
Chemmanur was arrested on January 8 in connection with a sexual harassment case. The charges were filed under Sections 75(1)(i) and 75(1)(iv) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act (IT Act), following a complaint by actor Honey Rose.
Initially, the Ernakulam First Class Judicial Magistrate Court denied his bail petition and remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days on January 9. Dramatic scenes unfolded in the court as Chemmanur collapsed upon hearing the judge’s verdict.
Five days later, the Kerala High Court granted him bail in the case. However, while considering the bail petition, the court observed that the petitioner was someone who frequently used double entendres. “Any Malayalee who reads the First Information Statement can easily understand that the words used by the petitioner are with double meanings. Therefore, I am of the considered opinion that prima facie, the ingredients of the offences alleged are attracted. Even though the senior counsel tried to argue before me that the ingredients of the offences are not attracted, I cannot agree with him on the same,” said the High Court while granting conditional bail.
The court instructed Chemmanur to pay a bond of Rs 50,000 to secure his release, appear before the Investigating Officer (IO) as required, and refrain from committing a similar offence.
However, Chemmanur chose not to leave jail despite securing bail, reportedly citing solidarity with other remand prisoners who remain behind bars due to technical hurdles. This decision came even after he enlisted one of the most respected advocates of the Kerala High Court to secure his release. A gathering of “BoChe” supporters had assembled outside the jail to celebrate his release, only to be left disappointed.
Chemmanur finally walked out of jail on Wednesday. Speaking to the media gathered outside, he claimed that he had extended his stay in jail to "arrange things for a few inmates who were arrested for cases like not paying bills after eating at restaurants."
Over the years, Chemmanur has carefully crafted an image as a philanthropist. However, he has also courted controversy multiple times due to his eccentricities and weird statements that have been criticized for sexual connotations aimed at women celebrities, media personnel, and YouTubers.
Chemmanur’s comments to the media after his release were perceived by the Kerala High Court as a challenge to the judiciary, prompting the court to take suo motu action. Expressing dissatisfaction with Chemmanur’s actions, Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan warned, “Do not engage in theatrics before the court.”
The High Court directed Chemmanur to provide a formal explanation.
With the court tightening its stance, Chemmanur quickly apologized to save face. He clarified that a technical issue had delayed his release and that the release order only arrived this morning. “It’s not true that I stayed in jail because of issues faced by other prisoners. Many are stuck in jail for minor cases, and several of them sought my help. My fans, ‘BoChe Fans,’ have been assisting them, and I have set aside Rs 1 crore for this purpose. However, I did not stay in jail for this reason,” he explained.
The court did not revoke the bail granted to Chemmanur, but it issued a strong warning to the businessman. However, the questions linger: Did this jail ‘stunt’ help Chemmanur shift the focus from the sexual harassment allegations against him to the plight of those in jail on remand, his fans’ philanthropic activities in his name, and some free airtime for his “BoChe” and Chemmanur brands?
