In December 2007, 17-year-old Ayesha Meera was found murdered in a hostel bathroom near Vijayawada. The brutal crime shocked Andhra Pradesh.

Police arrested Pidathala Satyam Babu, who was later convicted and sentenced to life.

But years later, the Andhra Pradesh High Court criticised the investigation, acquitted him, and ordered a reinvestigation.

The case was handed to the CBI in 2018. Investigators revisited evidence and even exhumed Ayesha’s body more than a decade after her death.

But in 2026, the court accepted the CBI’s closure report, saying there was no evidence to prosecute anyone. Nearly two decades later, the case has no accused.

In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna breaks down how a case that once had a life sentence ended with no one to prosecute.

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Produced by Megha Mukundan, Script by Pooja Prasanna, Camera by Ajay R, Edit by Nikhil Sekhar ET

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Someone had to watch The Kerala Story 2. We did.

From ominous background scores during namaz scenes to “rate cards” straight out of old conspiracy forwards, The Kerala Story 2 doubles down on fear, spectacle and panic. 

Three states. Three women. One sweeping thesis about love, conversion, progressive parenting and who the “real” villains are. 

In this special episode of #LetMeExplain, @PoojaPrasanna4 breaks down the propaganda patterns, the symbolism, the beef controversy, the bulldozer hero entry and why this sequel may be more polished, and more dangerous. 

If you were planning to spend 2 hours and 15 minutes on this film, consider this your alternative.

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Produced by Megha Mukundan, Script by Pooja Prasanna, Camera by Megha Mukundan, Edit by Nikhil Sekhar ET

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A beef-feeding scene in the trailer of The Kerala Story 2 has triggered outrage. Once again, Kerala has been pushed to the centre of a national culture war. But this episode is not about a single trailer moment.

We examine the ecosystem behind The Kerala Story films. This includes public statements by an RSS-linked cultural organisation that says it supported the ideation of such movies as part of “nation-building.” We also look at the production house’s CSR donation to a trust run by a figure associated with anti-conversion campaigns. And we explore the wider network that frames interfaith relationships as a threat.

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Produced by Megha Mukundan, Script by Dhanya Rajendran, Inputs by Nandini Chandrashekar, Camera by Ajay R, Edit by Nikhil Sekhar ET, Graphics by Dharini Prabharan

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A Telugu YouTube channel recently accused Muslim vendors of selling “poisoned” food at a tribal festival in Telangana, without medical evidence, official complaints, or verification from authorities. Instead of investigation, the videos relied on confrontation, repeated use of conspiracy phrases like “food jihad,” and public shaming of small traders.

But this is not just about one festival or one channel.

Across India, a growing number of YouTube platforms are using a similar format: provoke in public, frame suspicion as reporting, upload quickly, and monetise outrage. From Telangana to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu to Kerala, isolated incidents are increasingly communalised online — often without evidence.

In this week’s Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna examines how hate is produced, amplified, defended, and normalised on YouTube, and why the consequences don’t stay online.

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Produced by Megha Mukundan, Script by Lakshmi Priya, Inputs by Anjana Meenakshi, Camera by Ajay R, Edit by Nikhil Sekhar ET

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Four years ago, the death of 17-year-old Lavanya in Thanjavur was turned into a forced conversion controversy by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and others.

But the Central Bureau of Investigation has now concluded that there is no evidence she was pressured to convert. Multiple videos recorded at her hospital bed show she spoke about abuse and academic stress not conversion. Only one later video mentioned conversion, and that clip was amplified, triggering protests and communal outrage.

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The Epstein files – millions of pages of documents, emails, and records – detail how Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, operated and how power protected him for years.

The Epstein files also offer a look into how he stayed connected to powerful people long after his crimes were known.

In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna explains why Indian names appear in these documents and what the records actually show about figures like Anil Ambani, Hardeep Singh Puri, Ravi Mantha, and Deepak Chopra. None of them are accused of crimes in the files, but the material reveals how Epstein continued to function as a fixer and broker of access.

We also look at how misinformation and AI-generated images are distorting public understanding, and why the real story keeps getting lost: the survivors who were abused, ignored, and failed by institutions for decades.

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Produced by Megha Mukundan, Script by Lakshmi Priya, Camera by Ajay R, Graphics by Dharini Prabharan, Edit by Nikhil Sekhar ET

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For months, claims that animal fat was used in Tirupati laddus dominated headlines, political debates, and primetime TV, triggering outrage across the country.

One year later, the SIT chargesheet and government lab reports tell a very different story.

Two premier institutions, ICAR National Dairy Research Institute and NDDB CALF, found no animal fat in the ghee samples tested. No lard. No beef tallow. No fish oil. 

Instead, the reports point to vegetable oil adulteration using palm oil and related fats, along with chemical additives to mimic real ghee.

So how did a case of food adulteration turn into a nationwide religious controversy?

In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna breaks down what the chargesheet reveals.

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Produced by Megha Mukundan, Script by Pooja Prasanna, Camera by Ajay R, Graphics by Dharini Prabharan, Edit by Nikhil Sekhar ET

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In Kerala’s Malappuram district, an ancient gathering from the past is being revived, but in a very different form.

Mamankam, a gathering in Kerala that once centred on power, trade and multiple communities is now being projected as a “Kerala’s Kumbh Mela.”

Mamankam was not a Hindu pilgrimage. It was a secular, political and ritual assembly where kingship was contested and Muslims were part of its structure.

So what does it mean when Mamankam is rebranded as Kumbh?

In this episode of Let Me Explain, we hit the ground to bring you the real story and unpack how a plural past is being reshaped into a singular religious narrative.

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Producer: by Megha Mukundan, Script: Pooja Prasanna, Megha Mukundan, Reporting: Haritha Manav, Megha Mukundan, Camera: Ajay R, Megha Mukundan, Edit: Nikhil Sekhar ET

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Two journalists were arrested after a prime-time broadcast on NTV sparked a political storm in Telangana. The story had no documents, no named sources, and no evidence.

In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna breaks down what really happened behind the NTV controversy, why allegations of business and political rivalries entered the newsroom, and what this episode reveals about media ownership in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

This isn’t just about one channel or one broadcast. It’s about what happens when media houses are owned by powerful business interests, when editorial lines shift with political power, and when journalism turns into leverage instead of public service.

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Produced by Megha Mukundan, script by Dhanya Rajendran, camera by Ajay R, edited by Nikhil Sekhar ET

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A.R. Rahman is one of India’s most celebrated and globally recognised artists. And yet this week, he found himself having to publicly reaffirm his love for his own country.

In a BBC interview, Rahman cautiously used the word “communal” while speaking about why his work in Hindi cinema has reduced in recent years. He did not make an accusation or draw a conclusion. But the reaction to that single word was swift.

Very quickly, the conversation stopped being about music or the industry and became about Rahman’s identity and patriotism.

In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna breaks down what Rahman actually said, how his words were turned around, and why the reaction ended up proving his point. This episode is not just about A.R. Rahman. It is about how easily a conversation about work becomes a test of belonging in India today.

Produced by Bhuvan Malik, Edit by Jaseem Ali, Script by Pooja Prasanna, Camera by Ajay R.

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