‘Abusive Words Don’t Outrage Woman’s Modesty’: HC Dismisses Case Against Director

Kochi: In a big victory for filmmaker Sreekumar Menon, the Kerala High Court has dismissed a case against him, ruling that “unpleasant or abusive words alone do not constitute an insult to a woman’s modesty.”

Manju Warrier, a popular Malayalam actress, had alleged that the director’s behaviour during the shooting and production of the 2018 Mohanlal-starrer Odiyan, as well as subsequent online abuse, was aimed at insulting her modesty.

A single bench of Justice S Manu said that accusations made by the prosecution were not sufficient to constitute the offence under Section 509 of BNS, which relates to insulting a woman’s modesty.

In the ruling, the court emphasised that

“Mere utterances of unpleasant or abusive words without an intention either to insult the modesty of the woman or to intrude upon her privacy would not attract the offence under section 509 of the IPC,” the high court said.

Charges of stalking, using obscene words in public, were also found to lack substantial evidence.

Based on Manju’s complaint in 2019, Menon was arrested and later released on bail.

The FIR against Menon, registered by Thrissur Town East Police, has now been quashed and all proceedings in the case cancelled following the high court’s order.