Malayalam actor Minu Muneer was arrested by the Kochi Cyber Police following a defamation criticism filed by veteran filmmaker and actor Balachandra Menon. The arrest stems from allegations Muneer made on social media, which Menon claimed had been defamatory in nature. She was launched on bail shortly after being taken into custody.
Minu Muneer arrested and launched on bail
The Kerala Excessive Court docket had earlier dismissed her anticipatory bail plea. She is the primary accused within the case, which was registered in 2024. She reportedly made repeated derogatory posts about him on social media. Minu Muneer additionally filed a criticism in opposition to actor and MLA M Mukesh, who represents the Kollam Meeting constituency and is a pacesetter of the CPI(M). In the meantime, the arrest marks a brand new growth in an issue that has roiled the Malayalam movie trade in current months.
Sexual assault accusations
In a collection of social media posts and subsequent interviews, Muneer had publicly accused a number of outstanding trade figures of sexual misconduct and abuse throughout their skilled collaborations. In August final yr, Muneer named actors Mukesh, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, and Idavela Babu, alleging each verbal and bodily harassment. She additionally talked about Advocate Chandrasekharan, manufacturing controller Noble, and a person named Vichu.
“I’m writing to report a collection of incidents of bodily and verbal abuse I suffered by the hands of Mukesh, Maniyanpilla Raju, Idavela Babu, Jayasoorya, Advocate Chandrasekharan, manufacturing controller Noble and Vichu, within the Malayalam movie trade,” she wrote, claiming the incidents compelled her to depart the Malayalam movie trade and shift to Chennai.
In an in depth account given to ANI, Muneer expanded on her allegations. “As soon as, as I used to be popping out from the bathroom, Jayasurya hugged me from behind and even kissed me forcefully… After that, Idavela Babu expressed his curiosity in a sexual relationship with me,” she mentioned. She additionally accused actor-producer Maniyanpilla Raju of constructing inappropriate ideas about her lodge keep throughout a movie shoot, describing his behaviour as “unprofessional and unsettling.”
The incidents she referred to reportedly date again to 2013. The allegations surfaced within the wake of rising dissent throughout the Affiliation of Malayalam Film Artists (AMMA), following unrelated controversies that led to the resignations of director Ranjith and actor Siddique from their posts within the organisation.