CHENNAI, Nov 21 : Popular South Indian film actress Kasthuri Shankar, who was arrested in Hyderabad on Saturday for her alleged derogatory remarks against Telugu speaking people living
in Tamil Nadu, was released from Puzhal Central prison on Thursday evening after an Egmore Metropolitan Magistrate Court granted her conditional bail.
Passing orders on her plea, the Court granted her bail after the Greater Chennai City police, which arrested her, did not oppose her release.
She was arrested in Hyderabad on Saturday and brought to Chennai the next day and remanded in judicial custody.
A special team from Chennai had arrested Kasthuri after her anticipatory bail plea was dismissed by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on November 14.
Talking to reporters after walking out of the prison, Kasthuri said the jail authorities treated her well and thanked all those who supported her.
It may be recalled that Mr Justice N.Anand Venkatesh of the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court had on November 14 dismissed her anticipatory bail petition filed by the actress apprehending arrest in the case relating to her alleged derogatory remarks against Telugu community in Tamil Nadu on November three during a protest demonstration in Chennai on Brahmin Rights and opposed alleged discrimination against Hindus.
A complaint was filed with the Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner on November five by the
All India Telugu Federation and cases were were booked against her under Secs 192, 196(1)(a), 353(1)(b) and 353(2) of BNS (formerly IPC) by the Egmore police station and later arrested her.
Yet another complaint was also filed at the Thirunagar police in Madurai which had registered a case
against Kasthuri for alleged offences under Sections 196(1)(a), 197(1)(c), 296(b), 352, and 353(3)
of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on a complaint from the members of Tamil Nadu Naidu
Mahajana Sangam.
The Sangam in a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Madurai city on November 5, alleged that
the remarks made by Kasthuri against the Telugu speaking community and women were demeaning and disturbs the social fabric of the State. Her comments amounted to dividing the community in Tamil Nadu, stoking racial hatred and causing concern to people of the Naidu community.
Apprehending arrest in the case, the actress moved the Madras HC Bench seeking anticipatory bail.
In her petition, Kasthuri said she had already issued a public apology and that her comments were specific to certain individuals and not directed at the broader Telugu community. The cases were
filed against her due to political pressure.
She further stated that no riot or provocation had happened among any members of the society over her comments and she had been receiving support from the different quarters of the Telugu people across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
During the course of hearing of her plea, the court remarked that her comments were unwarranted and she should have refrained from speaking against the women of the Telugu community. Her apology does not address the comments made against the Telugu speaking women, the court said.
Cases were also registered against the actress by the police at Tiruchirapalli and Coimbatore by the members of Tamil Nadu Naidu Mahajana Sangam.
(UNI)
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