A police case has been registered against Malayalam actor Shwetha Menon for allegedly transmitting obscene material through electronic means, police said on Wednesday.
The case stems from a complaint filed by public activist Martin Menachery, who alleged that scenes from some of Menon’s older films and a condom advertisement contained vulgar content and were being circulated online for financial gain. Initially, police had not acted on the complaint, but a directive from the Ernakulam CJM Court prompted the registration of the case.
An official from the Ernakulam Central police station told news agency PTI that the FIR was filed on Tuesday under Section 67 of the IT Act, which deals with publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form. Reports also suggest that Section 67A - pertaining to material depicting sexually explicit acts - may be invoked, though police have not confirmed this.
The complaint specifically cites Menon’s roles in films like Rathinirvedam, Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha, and Kalimannu, in addition to her appearance in a condom commercial. Authorities allege that these works contain scenes of nudity and were produced with the intent of generating financial profit.
As of now, Shwetha Menon has not issued a public statement regarding the FIR.
The development comes at a politically sensitive time for the actor, who is contesting for the post of president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The post was vacated last year after Malayalam superstar Mohanlal stepped down in the wake of the Justice Hema Committee Report that exposed systemic issues within the industry.
{{/usCountry}}The development comes at a politically sensitive time for the actor, who is contesting for the post of president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The post was vacated last year after Malayalam superstar Mohanlal stepped down in the wake of the Justice Hema Committee Report that exposed systemic issues within the industry.
{{/usCountry}}Out of six initial contenders for the top post, four - including senior actor Jagadeesh - have withdrawn their nominations, placing Menon among the frontrunners ahead of the August 15 elections, according to reports.
Who is Shwetha Menon?
A well-known figure in Malayalam cinema, Shwetha Menon rose to prominence with performances in films such as Salt N’ Pepper, Rathinirvedam, and Kalimannu. She has also acted in Bollywood films like Bandhan opposite Salman Khan and Asoka alongside Shah Rukh Khan. In 2018, she appeared as a contestant on the Malayalam edition of Bigg Boss, hosted by Mohanlal.
On the professional front, Menon was last seen in the Malayalam thriller Jankar, released in July. She is next set to appear in the action thriller Karam, slated for release in September. The film also stars Noble Babu Thomas, Audrey Miriam, Reshma Sebastian, Manoj K Jayan, Kalabhavan Shajohn, and Baburaj.