Malayalam filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, who was taken into police custody in Kochi, has been granted bail. The Elamakkara police in Kochi took into their custody Sanal, who was detained in Mumbai, in a case relating to the alleged online stalking and harassment of a popular female actor.

Sanal Kumar Sasidharan granted bail by Kerala court

Sanal was handed over to a two-member police team from Kochi by the Mumbai Sahar police on Monday. He was detained at the Mumbai airport when he landed there from the USA on Sunday, based on a lookout circular issued against him in January 2025 when the case was registered.

In a series of social media posts, including those from abroad, Sanal has continued to raise concerns over the safety of the actor, who has filed a complaint against him. The director has repeatedly claimed that the actor was facing a threat to her life from the mafia in the film industry, which he said had been after him, too.

The Kochi police arrested the director on charges of stalking the same actor in May 2022 and granted bail later.

Says he regained lost faith in judiciary after bail

Sanal, who posted on Facebook after being detained at the Mumbai airport on Sunday before his arrest, returned to the platform to give an update after appearing in court. He wrote, “Something happened today that restores my lost faith in the judiciary. Today is the day that brought back to me the relief that there are not only those who serve the criminals in Kerala police but also good people who obey the law and humanity.”

He claimed the police arrested him in a ‘fake case’ and the magistrate decided to grant him bail. “My family is terrified of the power of the mafia working against me. Told they weren’t willing to bail me out. A friend of mine has said he would come. I need one more person’s bail,” he wrote. After receiving bail, Sanal noted, “Once again the media and Facebook have saved my life.”

With inputs from ANI