Kochi: The Kerala High Court has granted anticipatory bail to actor and director Balachandra Menon in a sexual assault case. The case was registered based on a complaint by an actress from Aluva. The Single Bench pointed out that the incident occurred 17 years ago and underlined that dignity is a right not only for women but for men as well. The court also noted that Balachandra Menon is a recipient of the Padma Shri, a prestigious national honour.

Earlier, interim anticipatory bail had been granted to Menon until November 21. The current decision is in continuation of that plea. Menon argued that the allegations were an attempt to extort money by threatening him.

The complaint alleged that during the filming of the movie De Ingottu Nokkiye, Menon committed sexual assault. The actress alleged that she was summoned to the shooting location and later assaulted by him at a hotel. She stated that fear had prevented her from coming forward earlier.

Following this, Menon lodged a complaint with the Director General of Police (DGP) against the actress and her lawyer, alleging defamation through social media. The allegations of sexual assault were made by the actress during an interview with an online media outlet. Menon claimed that the accusations were part of a deliberate attempt to defame him and demanded appropriate action in his complaint.