Actor Akkineni Nagarjuna withdrew the defamation case against Telangana's Endowments and Forest Minister Konda Surekha on Thursday, November 13, a day after the latter expressed regret over her statement about the actor and his family members.
The court of Special Judicial first Class Magistrate dismissed the case as withdrawn after Nagarjuna filed a petition under Section 280 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and virtually informed that he was withdrawing the case.
On Wednesday, Konda Surekha said that her comments were not intended to hurt Nagarjuna or his family members. “I had no intention of hurting or defaming Akkineni Nagarjuna Garu or his family members. I regret any unintended impression created by my statements in relation to them and withdraw the same,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter), tagging Nagarjuna.
Last year, on October 2, Konda Surekha had made defamatory remarks about former Minister and BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) and actor Nagarjuna, making wild speculations that KTR was the reason behind Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya’s divorce.
As her comments drew widespread criticism, the next day Konda Surekha issued an apology for her remarks against the Akkineni family and Samantha. The Minister acknowledged that she had unintentionally caused hurt to Samantha while criticising KTR.
However, actor Nagarjuna filed a criminal defamation case against the Minister, stating that her remarks had harmed the dignity and reputation of his family. He alleged that Konda Surekha’s comments tarnished his family’s reputation, which has been built over decades through their work in the film industry and social service initiatives. Similarly, KTR also filed a defamation suit against the Minister.