Malayalam director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan detained at Mumbai airport in alleged harassment

Malayalam director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan was detained at Mumbai airport on Sunday following a lookout notice issued by the Kerala police in an alleged harassment case. Taking to Facebook, the filmmaker said he arrived at the Mumbai airport but was detained.

The Kochi Police said they are in touch with the authorities at the Mumbai airport. "We are in touch with the airport authorities. Once a confirmation is received, a police team will be sent to Mumbai to take Sasidharan in custody," a senior police officer told PTI.

The Elamakkara police had registered a case against Sasidharan for harassing a prominent Malayalam actress on social media in January.

However, Sasidharan was in the United States when the police registered the case against him. The police then issued a lookout circular to detain him once he comes to India.

"I have been detained as part of a lookout notice issued by the Kochi City Police. I believe the police and the communist party in Kerala will treat me as per the law. I am not aware of the case against me," Sasidharan said in the post.

Earlier, Sasidharan was arrested by the police for stalking the same actress online in 2022. However, he was later granted bail by the Aluva Judicial First Class Magistrate, the police said.