In a relief for Shwetha Menon, the Kerala High Court has dismissed the criminal proceedings initiated against Malayalam actor and AMMA president in connection with an obscenity complaint.
The case had been registered by the Ernakulam Central Police Station following a complaint by social activist Martin Menachery. He alleged that the actor had appeared in films and advertisements containing sexually explicit visuals that circulated online.
Kerala High Court Quashes Case Against Shwetha Menon
The Kerala High Court has quashed the criminal case registered against Malayalam actor Shwetha Menon, ruling that the allegations in the complaint did not amount to a criminal offence. The court held that the sections cited in the First Information Report (FIR) were not legally sustainable and that the complaint appeared to have been filed with questionable motives.
The case had accused Shwetha Menon of appearing in films and advertisements containing allegedly obscene visuals. However, after reviewing the complaint and related materials, the High Court concluded that the allegations did not justify the initiation of criminal proceedings.
Complaint and FIR Registration
The case originated from a complaint filed by social activist Martin Menachery. He alleged that visuals from some of Shwetha Menon’s past films and advertisements, which were circulating online, contained sexually explicit content. Acting on the complaint, the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court directed the police to register a case. Following this order, the Ernakulam Central Police Station filed an FIR in August 2025. The police invoked Section 67A of the Information Technology Act, which deals with the electronic transmission of sexually explicit material.
In addition, Sections 3 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act were also included in the case. During the hearing, the High Court closely examined the timing and context of the complaint. It noted that the case had been filed shortly before elections to the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), where Menon was contesting for the position of president. The court observed that this timing raised doubts about the intent behind the complaint.
Shwetha Menon Challenges the Case
After the FIR was registered, Shwetha Menon approached the High Court seeking to quash the case. In her petition, she argued that the allegations were unfounded and that the scenes cited in the complaint were from films that had already received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification. After reviewing the evidence and legal arguments, the court concluded that the FIR lacked merit and decided to quash all further proceedings in the case.