Malayalam filmmaker VA Shrikumar Menon was arrested on Thursday by the Kerala police based on a complaint by actor Manju Warrier over a month ago. He was let off on bail the same day.
A team of officers, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sreenivasan, questioned the filmmaker for over three hours at the Thrissur police club on Thursday. The questioning was reportedly scheduled to be conducted at the Thrissur City Police Commissioner’s officer earlier.
The police reached the filmmaker’s house in Palakkad after recording Manju’s statement. The director’s arrest was also recorded before he was let off on bail.
In her complaint filed on October 21, Manju Warrier accused Shrikumar Menon of issuing a death threat to her. The complaint, which was filed at the office of the Director General of Police (DGP), stated that she feared Shrikumar might endanger her life. Manju had also stated that the filmmaker has personal enmity against her from the time Mohanlal-starrer Odiyan was under production. She also stated that he was continuously threatening and defaming her on social media.
Manju had also named Mathew Samuel, a former managing editor of Tehelka magazine and later the editor of the digital portal Naradanews, in her complaint. She alleged that Shrikumar was using Mathew to plant stories against her.
The complaint was registered at the Thrissur East Police station and the district crime branch DYSP was put in charge of the investigation.
After she filed the complaint, Shrikumar had put up a post stating on how he 'stood with her during the time of hardships'.
The filmmaker was booked on October 24 under sections of the Indian Penal Code: 354 D for stalking and section 509 for intending to insult the modesty of any woman. He was also booked under section 120 (O) of Kerala Police Act for defaming a woman on social media.
Meanwhile, Shrikumar Menon took to social media and said that he would extend full cooperation to the police investigation against him.