Kerala High Court Grants Anticipatory Bail To Actress Lakshmi Menon In Abduction Case

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday (October 8) allowed the anticipatory bail plea of actress Lakshmi Menon in alleged abduction and assault case.

The parties had submitted before the Court that their disputes have been settled and that the complaint was filed based on misunderstanding. The de facto complainant had filed an affidavit in this regard.

"The allegations indicate that a serious offence have been committed. However, an affidavit has been filed by the de facto complainant stating that the matter has been settled between the parties and that the de facto complainant has no objection in granting anticipatory bail to the petitioner. It is also mentioned that the crime has been registered on the basis of some misunderstanding and that he does not wish to proceed against the accused persons....The learned counsel for the de facto complainant also asserted that the matter has been settled and that he does not wish to proceed," Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas observed.

The complainant had alleged that an altercation occurred at Velocity Pub, Kochi in the presence of the actress along with other accused persons. Thereafter, the accused followed the complainant and his friend in their car and forced the complainant to enter the car of the accused by verbally abusing him. It was further alleged that he was assaulted in the car of the accused and was given death threats.

The following day, an FIR was registered against the actress in Ernakulam Town North Police Station, under Section 140(2)[Kidnapping or Abducting in order to murder], 126 [Wrongful Restraint], 296 [Obscene Acts and Songs], 127(2) [Wrongful Confinement], 115(2) [Voluntarily Causing Hurt] and 351 [Criminal Intimidation] of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Earlier, the Court had given interim protection against arrest to the actress. 

Case Title: Lakshmi R Menon v. State of Kerala

Case No: Bail Appl. 11246/ 2025

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Ker) 631

Counsel for petitioner: Biju Balakrishnan, V S Rakhee, K J Gisha, Akshaya S Nair, Jayakumar C