Actor Kasthuri brought to Chennai for investigation after being arrested in Hyderabad

CHENNAI: Actor Kasthuri Shankar, who was arrested in Hyderabad by a special team of Chennai Police, was brought to the city on Sunday morning for questioning in connection with the case registered against her for alleged derogatory comments against the Telugu community.

According to Thanthi TV reports, Kasthuri was arrested from a producer’s house in Hyderabad where she had reportedly been hiding.

When the Egmore Police team came to arrest her, she initially refused to open the door. It was only after the police threatened to break the door she opened it.

The actor also switched off her phone and was using the producer’s mobile to avoid being tracked. She stayed at the producer’s residence throughout her time in Hyderabad to evade the cops.

Egmore Police had booked her on November 5 based on a complaint from a Telugu federation seeking action against the actor for her remarks. While Police were looking for Kasthuri, she had sought anticipatory bail at the Madras High Court.

However, her bail plea was rejected by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court.

After receiving a lot of flak for her comments, the actor issued a public apology and retracted the statement she made against the Telugu community during a meeting in Chennai.

Her comments, which referenced the historical origins of various communities, sparked widespread criticism. Reportedly questioning community classifications, she said, “Three hundred years ago, Telugu-speaking individuals who served the palace were accepted as Tamil. But who can say that Brahmins who came long ago are not Tamil.”

The statement instantly drew backlash from multiple groups, many of them demanding legal action against the actor.