Case against film director on actress Manju Warrier's complaint

Thrissur: Kerala police have registered a case against ad filmmaker-turned-director Shrikumar Menon on a complaint lodged by popular Malayalam actress Manju Warrier for allegedly threatening and defaming her on the social media.

She had on October 22 met the State police chief Loknath Behera and filed the complaint.

"The complaint was forwarded to us on Wednesday. We then charged him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including Sections 354 D and 509 and have handed over the case to the Crime Branch for further investigation," police told PTI on Thursday.

Section 354 D of the IPC deals with the offence of stalking while Section 509 deals with word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman.

Menon, who had helmed the advertisements of several popular brands with Warrier in the lead role, entered tinsel town last year by directing the Mohanlal-Manju Warrier starrer "Odiyan", which failed to take off at the box-office.

According to local media reports, the award-winning actress levelled grave charges against Shrikumar Menon and one of his journalist friends.

She alleged the director had threatened her and some of her close friends and tried to defame her by orchestrating a hate campaign against her on the social media, the reports said.

It also said Warrier had handed over some digital evidence to the investigators to prove her point.

However, Shrikumar Menon, in a Facebook post, said he came to know about the police complaint only through media reports and he would cooperate with the investigation.

Unleashing a scathing attack against the actress, he said she had forgotten all the help and support he had offered during her second coming in the Malayalam industry after several years.

He also alleged that she had only Rs 1,500 in her account when she had left her home and it was he who had given her a cheque for Rs 25 lakh as advance payment of her first advertisement.

The actress has also sent a letter to the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) about her police complaint against Menon and sought its support.