Lakshmi Menon remains at large. The victim was reportedly abducted from an overbridge after a prior dispute at a restobar, driven to another location, assaulted, and threatened.
he Ernakulam North Police have registered a criminal case against South Indian actress Lakshmi Menon and three of her acquaintances in connection with the alleged kidnapping and assault of an IT professional in Kochi. Three suspects have already been arrested, while the actress is currently absconding, according to police officials. The alleged crime took place late Sunday night on the Ernakulam North railway overbridge, where the victim — a tech professional from Aluva — was forcibly taken by a group that included the actress and her friends. The abduction is believed to have stemmed from a confrontation that occurred earlier the same night at a restobar in Kochi, involving a dispute between the victim’s friend and Lakshmi Menon’s group.
Police said the altercation escalated after the victim and his friends left the restaurant to avoid further conflict. Menon and her associates allegedly chased down their vehicle, intercepted them on the overbridge, and confronted them. “An argument broke out again, and one of the accused dragged the complainant out of the vehicle and forced him into their car. He was allegedly assaulted, threatened, and verbally abused while being driven to Vedimara junction in Paravur, where he was dropped off around midnight,” a senior police officer said.
The police recovered the victim shortly after and registered a formal complaint. Based on the complaint, three individuals — Mithun, Aneesh, and Sonamol, all from Kochi and known associates of the actress — were arrested. Lakshmi Menon is reportedly evading arrest, with her phone switched off since the incident. Authorities say they are actively tracing her whereabouts.
Serious Charges Under New Legal Code
The case has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those related to kidnapping, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, verbal abuse, and causing hurt. Specific charges include Sections 140(2), 126, 296, 127(2), 115(2), 351(2), and 3(5).
Victim’s Account of the Incident
The victim, who requested anonymity, told media outlets that the trouble began when his friend tried to intervene in an argument outside the restaurant. According to him, a member of Lakshmi Menon’s group was behaving aggressively under the influence of alcohol.