Chennai Police Arrests South Actress For Her Remarks On Telugu Community

Hyderabad: South actress Kasthuri Shankar was, on Saturday, arrested in Hyderabad by the Chennai Police for her remarks on the Telugu community during an event in Tamil Nadu. Kasthuri Shankar was arrested following the rejection of her anticipatory bail by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court. The High Court deemed her remarks “unwarranted". The Chennai police had been searching for her after she went missing from her home in Chennai and turned off her mobile phone.

According to the Chennai police, actress Kasthuri, remarked the Telugu-speaking people of Tamil Nadu, stoked a controversy leading to the filing of a complaint. Following the registration of a case, the police started to search for the actress and arrested her from Hyderabad on Saturday.

Though the actress withdrew her remarks, soon after her statement stoked controversy, complaints were filed against her with the Chennai police.

A Chennai police team traced her to a film producer's house in Hyderabad and effected the arrest.

She will be brought to Chennai to be produced before a magistrate court here, police said.

Anticipating her arrest, the actress had moved the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, recently, but the court rejected her advance bail plea.

Broadly, her allegation covers an accusation that some Telugu-speaking people, who had come to the state centuries ago to serve the then rulers, were now claiming to be Tamils, while Tamil Brahmins were not considered as Tamil.

It was a portion of her recent address at a protest venue here in support of Brahmins, who were often dubbed as outsiders by some Dravidian ideologues.

Further details regarding the arrest are being awaited.