The Kerala High Court on Thursday stayed proceedings in a case against actor Shwetha Menon for allegedly taking up obscene roles in certain films.

Earlier, she had filed a petition in the Kerala High Court on Thursday seeking a stay on the criminal proceedings initiated against her in a case alleging that she earned money by acting in obscene films and advertisements.

In her petition, Shwetha contends that the proceedings have been initiated against her with “manifest malafides” and that she is a respected cine artist with a good reputation in society. The allegations, she argues, are baseless and unsupported by any tangible evidence.

The petition states that all the films and advertisements she appeared in were duly censored, certified, and have been publicly available for years. She further says that calling her work obscene is unfair and baseless, especially since her performance in the movie ‘Paleri Manikyam’ won a Kerala State Award, and her appearance in a condom ad was also legally approved and publicly accessible.

The petition further states that the allegation of her involvement in running porn sites is baseless, defamatory, and made without any evidence. She adds that the entire complaint, including claims of a sex and drug racket, is irresponsible and a product of the complainant’s wild imagination.

Additionally, Shwetha says that the case is politically motivated, aimed at damaging her strong candidacy and sabotaging her chances of becoming AMMA’s first woman president, with the polls scheduled for August 15. The complaint and FIR against her were filed shortly after the last date for withdrawal of nominations, raising suspicion about the timing, the petition added.  

On Wednesday, the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court directed the filing of a case against the actor based on a complaint filed by social activist Martin Menachery from Ernakulam. Following this, the Ernakulam Central Police registered an FIR under Section 67A of the Information Technology Act, which deals with punishment for publishing or transmitting sexually explicit material in electronic form. She is also facing charges under Sections 3 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

The charges are non-bailable and come at a time when Shwetha is in the fray for the post of president in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The case assumes added significance as she is considered a strong contender for the top post. With actor Jagadeesh withdrawing from the race, Shwetha is now pitted against actor Devan in the upcoming election.