Thiruvananthapuram, March 11 (NationPress) In a major judicial relief for Malayalam actress Shwetha Menon, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday dismissed all criminal actions taken against her regarding claims that she participated in films and advertisements with obscene and vulgar content.

Justice C.S. Dias granted Menon's request to annul the First Information Report (FIR) and the private complaint filed against her, noting that the accusations, even if they were true, failed to meet the criteria for any of the alleged offences.

The FIR was lodged by the Ernakulam City Police in August 2025 following directives from the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, based on a complaint by Martin Menanchery. He claimed that Menon featured in several films and advertisements with obscene content accessible online, allegedly for financial gain.

In response to the complaint, police invoked Section 67A of the Information Technology Act and Sections 3 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, which address the distribution of sexually explicit material and related prostitution offences.

However, the High Court concluded that the allegations did not fulfill the necessary components outlined in these laws.

The court pointed out that the complaint did not assert that Menon operated a brothel, engaged in procuring individuals for prostitution, or participated in any actions that would violate the provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

Furthermore, it was noted that Section 67A of the IT Act applies only if a person publishes or transmits sexually explicit material online.

In this instance, the complainant merely alleged that Menon appeared in specific visuals available on websites, without any claim that she uploaded or transmitted such content.

The court also acknowledged Menon's defense that the films referenced in the complaint were legally released and received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification.

Importantly, Justice Dias remarked that the complaint seemed to be lodged with an ulterior motive aimed at damaging Menon's reputation.

Menon's legal counsel argued that the complaint emerged just before elections for the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, in which Menon later ran and was elected as President.

Ultimately, the court determined that this case represented a blatant misuse of the legal system and invoked its inherent powers to nullify the complaint, FIR, and all subsequent proceedings against the actress.