Kasthuri Shankar, who had been in the news earlier last month for stating that Telugu people trace their lineage to courtesans in ancient kingdoms in India, was in hiding to avoid arrest. On Saturday, the actor was arrested by a special team of the Tamil Nadu police in Narsingi police station limits.
According to Tamil Nadu police sources, the actor had been avoiding arrest by staying at a friend’s house in Hyderabad. They added that she would be brought to Chennai to be presented before a magistrate court.
On Friday, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court rejected Kasthuri’s anticipatory bail plea in a case filed by the Madurai Thirunagar police related to her statements. Justice N. Anand Venkatesh, who issued the ruling, remarked that the actor’s speech verged on hate speech. He emphasised that in a diverse nation like India, there should be zero tolerance for remarks that demean a particular group based on their language.
Following the backlash, Kasthuri conveyed through social media that she did not mean the comments to be offensive and apologised for whatever hurt her remarks caused. The actor claimed that her comments pertained to a historical section, not the whole community, and that they have been taken out of context.
Kasthuri started her film career with Aatha Un Koyilile in 1991. She went on to act in many Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam films, including Indian, Annamayya, Kadhal Kavithai, and Jaana. She was last seen in the Telugu film, Simbaa.
