(Image source from: Instagram.com/lakshmimenon967)

Kerala actress Lakshmi Menon is facing accusations linked to the supposed kidnapping and attack of a software worker in Kochi. The person who made the complaint claimed that he was taken against his will and assaulted by Ms. Menon and her friends close to the Ernakulam North Bridge after an argument at a bar. The tech professional informed the police that Ms. Menon along with three companions - Mithun, Aneesh, and Sonamol - pulled him out of his vehicle and forced him into a different one. He alleged that he was harmed and threatened while inside this vehicle before being thrown out, and then it drove away quickly. In response, Ms. Menon has called the allegations false and fabricated, asserting that they are intended to damage her reputation. The 27-year-old actress stated that she was at the bar that evening with a female friend. However, she claims they were the ones who faced harassment from the complainant and his male friends. The Kerala High Court has given the actress protection from arrest up until September 17. The three men who have been taken into custody are currently in judicial detention. The events in question occurred on the night of August 24.

Local news reports indicate that the bar is situated on Banerjee Road in Kochi. Ms. Menon and her friends reportedly arrived at the bar after 11 PM. The clash with the complainant occurred before midnight and spread into the street. The reason for the conflict is still unknown. Ms. Menon stated that she and her friend were sexually harassed by the complainant, claiming that he and his companions followed them after they left the bar and even assaulted them with a beer bottle. Conversely, the complainant alleged that the actress's companions were intoxicated and were verbally attacking his friends, and that he (along with his friends) attempted to leave the bar quietly to avoid more trouble. According to him, he and his associates got into their vehicle and departed.

However, reports from the Malayalam publication Onmanorama suggest that the actress's friends followed them in their car, leading to a continuation of the argument at the North Bridge. The tech worker asserted that when he exited his car to try to calm things down, he was pushed into another vehicle that then sped off. He claimed he was threatened and attacked inside that car.

Ms. Menon, who grew up in Kochi, is trained as a dancer and began her film career in 2011 with the Malayalam movie Raghuvinte Swantham Rasya, directed by Vinayan. She later appeared in Tamil films, starting with Sundarapandian, directed by SR Prabhakaran, in 2012. She received several awards for her performance in that movie, including Best Female Debut at the 60th Filmfare Awards South. Ms. Menon is facing a number of serious accusations, such as wrongful confinement and intentionally causing injury. She and her associates are also charged with the supposed abduction of the tech worker and committing obscene acts (the specifics of these alleged acts are not clear) along with criminal intimidation.