Actor Shwetha Menon approaches Kerala High Court seeking to quash FIR

Actor Shwetha Menon approached the Kerala High Court on Thursday (August 7, 2025) seeking to quash an FIR registered against her by the Ernakulam Central Police on the charge that she performed roles in movies having alleged vulgar and obscene contents for financial gains and that the contents were transmitted via social media and adult sites to gain popularity.

She had thus been charged under Section 67(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and under Sections 3 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 based on a complaint by Martin Menachery, an Ernakulam resident, after the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court issued a directive to the police.

Alleging that the FIR was malafide and ill-motivated, Ms. Menon submitted in her petition before the High Court that the movies had been certified by the CBFC and were publicly exhibited years ago.

“I have good reputation in society and have been implicated as an accused in a crime because of mindless reference of a complaint to the police by a magistrate. The complaint raises absurd and fanciful allegations which do not attract the offences alleged even prima facie,” she said.

It is crucial to note that the character that the petitioner portrayed in the film Paleri Manikyam, which the complainant says as obscene, bagged the Kerala State award for best actress. The other films made mention of (by the complainant) too were accepted and appreciated in public domain by their quality as a whole, she said in the petition.

These films were created by artistes who were at the pinnacle of proficiency in their respective fields. An appearance in a condom advertisement too was duly censored and certified and is available in the public domain, she said in the petition.

The FIR against the actor has come at a time when she is contesting for the post of the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), in the election to the executive committee of the actors’ body to be held on August 15.