Legal relief for Shweta Menon: Kerala High Court quashes obscenity case against actress

Kochi: In a major legal victory for Malayalam actress Shweta Menon, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday dismissed criminal proceedings related to allegations that she featured in obscene films and advertisements for monetary gain.

Justice C S Dias presided over the petition, quashing the First Information Report (FIR) and all associated proceedings in the case titled Shweta Menon v State of Kerala and Anr.

Court finds no legal basis for charges

The Court determined that the accusations, even if taken as true, failed to meet the legal standards for the crimes cited. Specifically, the Court ruled that the actress's work did not violate Section 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (related to sexually explicit electronic content) or Sections 3 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (related to prostitution).
Evidence of ‘ulterior motives’
Dismissing the case, the court noted that the timing of the complaint, filed by one Martin Menachery, appeared calculated to damage the actress's reputation. Menon’s legal counsel pointed out that the charges were brought forward just as she was preparing to contest for the presidency of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA)—a position she ultimately won.

The Court also observed that the complaint seemed designed to sabotage her candidacy.
Merit and censor approval
The actress had strongly contested the FIR, which was initially registered following a referral from the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate. The complainant had alleged that Menon’s appearances in certain films and advertisements were "vulgar" and being circulated on adult websites.
Menon countered that the films mentioned—such as ‘Paleri Manikyam’, ‘Rathinirvedham’ and ‘Kalimannu’—were all legally released projects certified by the Censor Board.
She further highlighted that her performance in ‘Paleri Manikyam’ actually won her the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress, underscoring its artistic merit over any claims of obscenity.
The High Court's ruling brings an end to a case that the defense described as a "motivated attempt" to tarnish a public figure's image without any material evidence.