Actor Lakshmi Menon, known for her work in Tamil and Malayalam films, and three others are accused of “abducting and assaulting” an IT professional in Ernakulam following an argument at a bar, police said.

Lakshmi has moved the Kerala high court

Menon moved the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail and was granted protection from arrest on Wednesday, while the other three accused were arrested and remanded to judicial custody on Tuesday, police added.

Ernakulam North police said the incident occurred on the night of August 24, when the actor and her friends allegedly blocked the victim’s vehicle near the railway bridge, “verbally abused” him, and “forcibly pushed” him into their car.

The victim was reportedly assaulted inside the vehicle and released early on Monday.

A case has been registered against the four persons under sections 3(5) (common intention), 140(2) (kidnapping or abduction), 126 (wrongful restraint), 296 (obscene acts and songs), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

About Lakshmi Menon

Lakshmi Menon is known for her work in Tamil and Malayalam cinema. Born on May 19, 1996, in Kerala, she started as a classical dancer before transitioning into films. She made her acting debut in the Malayalam film Raghuvinte Swantham Raziya (2011), but it was her breakthrough role in the Tamil film Sundarapandian (2012) opposite Sasikumar that catapulted her to fame.

She earned critical acclaim for her roles in films like Kumki, Pandiya Naadu, and Miruthan. Lakshmi was last seen in the 2025 Tamil horror-thriller Sabdham, directed by Arivazhagan Venkatachalam. The film features her as a professor and received praise for its storytelling, sound design. It also stars Aadhi Pinisetty, Simran, Laila and Rajiv Menon.