Kochi, Oct 23: Malayalam actress Manju Warrier has filed a complaint with Kerala DGP Loknath Behera against adman and ‘Odiyan’ director VA Shrikumar Menon, saying she feared threat to her life and he would harm her.
In her complaint, Manju Warrier wrote that he was tarnishing her image on social media by posting defamatory comments and memes. The actor called on the DGP at his office here on Monday and handed over a written complaint. The DGP office confirmed that the complaint may be forwarded to an officer, not less than the rank of an IG to initiate a probe.
“I tried to ignore them, but Menon has been troubling me. Menon and his friend Mathew Samuel have been posting defamatory statements against me. I am afraid that he may harm me,” she said in her complaint. Sources said that she had also handed over certain digital evidence to substantiate the complaint. Warrier also accused Menon of misusing signed blank cheques and letter pads in the name of ‘Manju Warrier Foundation’.
"I was a victim of a cyber attack on social media after the release of Odiyan. Since then, I used to get defamatory messages. Though I had overcome this crisis, Menon is again creating trouble against me. Now, I am afraid that he may harm me," Warrier said in her complaint.
After a divorce with her former hustband and actor Dileep, Manju Warrier has been working extensively with Menon and his advertising agency Push Integrated Communications. He has also directed her in ad campaigns for Kalyan Jewellers, which is a client of Shrikumar Menon. This friendship led them to cooperate in Mohanlal-starrer high budget movie 'Odiyan', a movie in which Manju Warrier was the heroine in Shrikumar Menon’s debut directorial venture. Since the film bombed at the box office, Warrier received several messages and memes which were defamatory. Now, Manju alleged that it was Shrikumar Menon behind these wily campaigns.
After the release of the movie, Menon had publicly blamed Warrier for the Odiyan’s damp box office collection even as she was trolled on social media for the film’s lackluster performance as she was reluctant to participate in the post-release promos of the movie. In her complaint, Warrier accused Menon of trying to defame her through an organised ‘cyber-attack’ after Odiyan’s release in December 2018, a report by News18 said.
Another point of difference of opinion between the two was a project to build houses for the people of a tribal segment at Wayanad in the name of ‘Manju Warrier Foundation’. Recently she was in the news for cheating for not fulfilling her promise of building houses for the people of a tribal segment at Wayanad. A notice was reportedly issued by the Wayanad Legal Service Authority against her and she was also directed to appear before the legal service authority.
Manju Warrier Foundation had promised the tribal people belonging to the Paniya community at Parakuni in Panamaram panchayat that houses will be constructed for 57 families by spending Rs 1.88 crore.
A letter regarding this was issued to the district collector, Minister AK Balan and Panamaram grama panchayat on January 20, 2017. Later, the department of SC/ST granted permission for the project. But even after two years, no action was taken to implement the housing project, the tribals had alleged. In the 2018 floods that ravaged the state, wide destruction was reported in the locality.
As the Foundation had promised help, none of the government authorities had come forward to offer any assistance or aid in rehabilitation. Warrier in her police complaint also accused Menon of misusing signed blank cheques and letter pads in the name of ‘Manju Warrier Foundation’.
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