Actor Shwetha Menon has filed a petition in the Kerala High Court seeking to quash the FIR registered against her by the Ernakulam Central Police. The petition, submitted on Wednesday morning, also calls for an immediate stay on the ongoing investigation.
In her plea, Shwetha contends that the case was filed without verifying facts. She states that her performances were part of films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification, some of which have received national recognition and awards. Denying any illegal activity, she argued that the charges are baseless and appear to be politically motivated.
The case was registered following directions from the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, based on a complaint by social activist Martin Menachery. He accused Shwetha of earning financial gain through films and advertisements allegedly containing sexually explicit content, naming Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha, Rathinirvedam, Kalimannu and a Kamasutra condom advertisement. Martin claimed that clips from these works were being circulated on adult websites and social media.
The actor has been booked under non-bailable offences, including Section 67A of the Information Technology Act and Sections 3 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. The development comes amid Shwetha’s bid to become the first woman president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), with elections scheduled for August 15.
