Journalist K.R. Ajayan, who was till recently the editor-in-charge of Deshabhimani’s weekend supplement, has resigned, weeks after a headline with the words ‘Kallan Vijayan’ (Vijayan the thief) in it allegedly sparked an internal row.

Mr. Ajayan said he put in his papers on Friday after meeting the General Manager of Deshabhimani and on being given the assurance that his service benefits would not be affected.

At the centre of the controversy was the headline ‘Kallan Vijayan, Dhanya Natakagramam, Muthippara P.O.,’ given to a feature article planned in July on a veteran theatre artiste from Muthippara in Thiruvananthapuram district. Following objections to the headline, the supplement was allegedly published later after replacing the article in question.

Mr. Ajayan had reportedly been asked to give an explanation, which he says he did. He had stood by his choice of headline, and, subsequently, was relieved of his duties. The author of the article had later published it on his Facebook page.

Published - August 21, 2026 08:32 pm IST