Kochi, March 11 The Kerala High Court on Wednesday quashed the First Information Report (FIR) registered against Malayalam film actress Shwetha Menon for allegedly publishing or transmitting obscene scenes from some of her past movies and advertisements.
Justice C S Dias allowed the actress's plea seeking the quashing of the FIR against her.
The detailed order is awaited.
The High Court had in August last year stayed proceedings related to the FIR, stating that there was prima facie evidence to support the actress's contention that before referring the complaint for investigation, the requirements of obtaining a police report and conducting an inquiry should have been complied with.
An FIR under section 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology (IT) Act and provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act has been lodged against the actress.
Menon was in the running for the president's post in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) when the FIR was registered.
She was later elected as the president of AMMA.
In her plea, the actress claimed that the allegations were "malicious" in nature and that the offenses she has been booked for are not applicable.
She also contended that the complaint was filed following her nomination for the post of AMMA president.
The complainant, Martin Menachery, had alleged that "by appearing in a condom advertisement years ago and by acting in films like 'Paleri Manikkyam', 'Rathinirvedham' and 'Kalimannu', the accused (Menon) allegedly appeared in a vulgar and obscene manner".
Menon had contended that the films referred to in the complaint were duly censored and certified and have been available in the public domain for several years.
She had also said that the character portrayed by her in the movie 'Paleri Manikyam' won her a Kerala State Award for best actress.
Even the advertisement, in which she appeared years ago, was duly censored and certified, the plea had said.
"The allegation that the petitioner (Menon) was involved in running porn sites is absurd and defamatory in itself," it contended.