The Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to actress Lakshmi R Menon in connection with an abduction and assault case. [Lakshmi R Menon v State of Kerala and connected cases]

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas passed the order on the plea moved by the actress along with two others accused of having assaulted and abducted an information technology (IT) professional.

The Court had previously granted them interim protection from arrest after the complainant in the case, an IT professional, filed an affidavit stating that the dispute has been amicably settled and that he did not wish to proceed with the case any further.

"The allegations in the FIR prima facie show that serious offences have been committed. However, an affidavit has been filed by the de-facto complainant stating that the matter has been settled and that he has no objection to granting anticipatory bail to the petitioners," the Court recorded.

The case stemmed from an incident on August 24 at a pub named 'Velocity' in Kochi, where a dispute broke out between the de-facto complainant and the actress and her friends.

A First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against Menon after the complainant alleged that Menon and her friends allegedly intercepted his car, dragged him out of the vehicle, forced him into the accused's vehicle and assaulted him.

Menon was booked under Sections 140 (2) (kidnapping & abducting), 126 (wrongful restraint), 296 (obscene acts), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

In her anticipatory bail plea, the actress maintained that the allegations against her were false and motivated and that she had no role in the alleged offences.

The actress was represented by advocates Biju Balakrishnan, VS Rakhee, KJ Gisha, Akshaya S Nair and Jayakumar C.

Advocate Vivek Venugopal appeared for the de-facto complainant.