Extortion TWIST in Balachandra Menon case; Actress Minu Muneer's lawyer arrested
The Kochi Cyber Police have arrested Sangeeth Louis, a lawyer and filmmaker from Kollam in the ongoing
extortion case
involving actor-filmmaker
Balachandra Menon
. He is accused of attempting to extort money from Balachandra Menon by allegedly threatening to publicize fabricated allegations.
Lawyer held in extortion case against veteran actor
As reported by Asianet News, the arrest was made from his residence in Ayyanthole, Thrissur. Sangeeth is the second accused in the case, following the earlier arrest of actress Minu Muneer, who was identified as the prime accused.
Social media allegations led to legal showdown
The controversy erupted in the wake of the Hema Committee report. It was when Minu Muneer took to social media to level serious allegations of sexual misconduct against Balachandra Menon.
'He Kissed Me Forcefully': Actress Minu Muneer's Bold Claims Against Top Malayalam Actors
In response, Balachandra Menon filed a police complaint that accused her of making defamatory and obscene remarks. Minu was subsequently arrested and later released on bail by the High Court. However, the investigation continued which lead to Sangeeth's arrest. According to police, both Minu and Sangeeth were working together as part of a planned effort to intimidate and extort Menon.
Adding to the twist, Sangeeth Louis is no stranger to controversy.
Reportedly, the police revealed that he has been an accused in multiple cases.
Sangeeth was even booked under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA). This happened in the year 2023.
Despite these claims, Sangeeth insists his intentions were misunderstood. He told police that he merely informed Balachandra Menon about other actresses who were allegedly ready to testify against him. However, cyber police have reportedly recovered key data from both Sangeeth and Minu's phones that suggest coordinated attempts to extract money from the veteran actor.
The extortion attempt dates back to September last year, and with Sangeeth now in custody, the case appears to be moving toward a deeper investigation.
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