Actor Kasthuri Shankar arrested from Hyderabad

South actor Kasthuri Shankar was arrested by Chennai Police in Hyderabad for her alleged controversial remarks against Telugu community during an event in Tamil Nadu.

Following the rejection of her anticipatory bail by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, which deemed her remarks “unwarranted,” police had been searching for her after she went missing from her home in Chennai and turned off her mobile phone. The 50-year-old actor, known for her performances in films like Indian and Annamayya, had sparked public outrage after she made offensive remarks against Telugu people. While speaking at a public event in Tamil Nadu, she had said that Telugu people were descendants of the courtesans who had served kings in ancient times.

According to a report, the Egmore police in Chennai filed a complaint against the GodFather actor under four provisions of the Bharat Nagrik Suraksha Samhita. Her remarks drew fire from BJP national co-in charge of Tamil Nadu Dr Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, who demanded an apology. Her comments hamper the cordial atmosphere among the people of Tamil Nadu and were against the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), the BJP leader had told news agency PTI. After facing backlash, the actor had expressed regret for her statements, claiming they were misinterpreted. Taking to X, Kasthuri shared her official statement which read, “I never intended to insult or disrespect my Telugu extended relatives. I apologise for any unintentional ill feelings.”

https://x.com/KasthuriShankar/status/1853751784113586207