Kochi police get filmmaker Sanalkumar in custody from Mumbai

The Elamakkara police in Kochi have taken into their custody Malayalam filmmaker Sanalkumar Sasidharan who was detained in Mumbai in a case relating to alleged online stalking and harassment of a popular woman actor. The award-winning director was handed over to the two-member police team from Kochi by the Sahar police on Monday, a police officer said.

“The accused is being brought to Kochi. We need to record his statement first. Further action in the case will depend on what he has to say,” a police officer with Elamakkara station said.

Mr. Sanalkumar was detained at the Mumbai airport when he landed there from the USA on Sunday, based on a lookout circular issued against him in January when the case was registered.

In a series of social media posts including from abroad, Mr. Sanalkumar has kept raising concerns over the safety of the actor who has filed the complaint against him. He has repeatedly claimed that the actor was facing threat to life from ‘a mafia’ which he said have been after him too.

Even after he was detained in Mumbai, he questioned the police for slapping stalking charges on him. Mr. Sanalkumar was arrested by the Kochi police on charges of stalking the same actor in May 2022 and granted bail later.