Chennai: Actress Kasthuri Shankar was arrested by Chennai police on Saturday in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, with the assistance of the Cyberabad police. She is being held in connection with an ongoing investigation into her alleged derogatory remarks about the Telugu community.  

The arrest follows the denial of anticipatory bail by the Madras High Court on November 14, in a case related to comments Kasthuri made during a Brahmin gathering in Chennai on November 3. The court, led by Justice Anand Venkatesh, deemed her remarks “unwarranted” and stated that her subsequent apology was insufficient in addressing the controversy.  

Kasthuri allegedly stated that Telugu-speaking people in Tamil Nadu were “descendants of courtesans” who had come to serve the kings 300 years ago and were now claiming Tamil origins. Her comments sparked widespread backlash, leading a member of the Naidu Mahajana Sangam State to file an FIR against her.  

In response to the uproar, Kasthuri issued an apology on social media platform X, accusing “Tamil Nadu’s Goebbels and the anti-Hindu DMK network” of spreading false news. She also reiterated her affection for the Telugu community, stating, “People of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will never fall for their lies.”  

The Greater Chennai Police Commissioner sent a special team to Andhra Pradesh to trace Kasthuri, who was reported absconding prior to her arrest.