Actress Kasthuri arrested for insensitive comments on Telugu People

Yesteryear actress Kasthuri Shankar, who is quite familiar to moviegoers in South India, has been arrested by Chennai police in Hyderabad for her insensitive comments on Telugu community last week while talking about the political party DMK at a rally against Brahmin persecution. After denial of anticipatory bail by Madras High Court, the Annamayya actress went into hiding to avoid potential arrest. After two days of search, she has finally been detained today evening. 

Kasthuri sparked a huge controversy with her loose tongue when she alleged that Telugu community’s ancestry in Tamil Nadu was from courtesans who served kings. This senseless statement angered many and triggered a huge backlash from the Telugu community living not just in Tamil Nadu but all over the country.

A  police complaint against her was filed by a member of the Naidu Mahajana Sangam State Executive Committee, citing offences under several sections of the BNS Act along with provisions from the IT Act.

After widespread public outcry and condemnation, she issued a public apology, clarifying that her remarks were intended to address only certain individuals and not the Telugu community at large. Despite her apology, many cases were registered against her for spreading communal disharmony through hate speech. The High Court took a swipe on Kasthuri for her malicious comments and observed that she tried to paint an entire community in a negative light. 

As the court held that freedom of speech does not shield individuals from accountability and allow to make comments as they like and denied bail to her, the Chennai police set out to arrest her and start further course of action. She will be brought to Chennai from Hyderabad and will be produced before the court.