Kochi: Actor Dileep’s sister Jayalakshmi has lodged a complaint against two television news channels, accusing them of violating her family’s privacy by flying drones over the actor’s home in Aluva earlier this month.

The complaint, submitted to the Aluva Station House Officer, names two leading news channels based in Kerala and their respective heads. Jayalakshmi alleges that the channels deployed drone cameras without permission, capturing and broadcasting visuals of the family on a day of heightened media attention.

According to the complaint, the incident occurred on 8 December, the day Dileep, who had been an accused in the actress assault case, was acquitted in the case. As he arrived at the residence, drones were used to capture visuals of family members stepping out to welcome him, including his wife Kavya Madhavan, daughter Mahalakshmi and Jayalakshmi herself. The footage was subsequently aired by the channels.

Jayalakshmi states that the drones were operated without consent from anyone in the household, constituting a serious breach of privacy, particularly of the women and children present. She argues that media outlets have no legal authority to conduct aerial surveillance over a private property under the guise of news coverage.

Dileep was acquitted in the high-profile case on 8 December, triggering a surge of media activity outside his home. Jayalakshmi’s complaint contends that the channels crossed legal and ethical boundaries by using drone technology to capture images within the compound.