The ongoing legal dispute between Bala and his ex-wife has gained significant attention on social media in recent months.
Published Oct 14, 2024 | 1:00 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 14, 2024 | 6:39 PM
Actor Bala arrested. (X)
The Kadavanthra police arrested actor Bala, also known as Balakumar, on Monday, 14 October, following a complaint by his ex-wife, Amrutha Suresh.
According to her complaint, Bala’s social media posts had caused emotional harm to both her and their daughter. She contended that Bala violated their divorce agreement, which prohibits personal taunts. “He is constantly disturbing me and my 12-year-old daughter,” she said.
The actor’s manager, Rajesh, was also taken into custody at Bala’s flat in Kochi.
Bala has been charged with outraging a woman’s modesty and faces additional accusations under juvenile justice laws. Manorama News reported that Bala had previously claimed Amrutha was preventing him from seeing their daughter.
However, the minor child later posted a video on Instagram, expressing the emotional turmoil she and her mother endured due to Bala’s actions.
The charges against Bala include serious non-bailable offences, such as Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for outraging a woman’s modesty, Section 406 for violating the terms of the divorce agreement, and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Bala and Amrutha have been legally separated for a while now, but the ongoing legal dispute gained attention after Amrutha alleged domestic abuse by Bala.
Bala’s lawyer, Fathima Siddique, criticised the arrest, stating that it was unnecessary and could have been avoided.
According to her, Bala has been fully cooperative with the police, and a notice for questioning would have sufficed. She further confirmed that they will file a petition in the high court on Monday, seeking the case’s dismissal.
Bala, who was last seen in the Malayalam film Bad Boyz, is a third-generation artist working in the film industry. He debuted his acting career in Telugu with the film 2 Much (2002). However, he gained prominence only after securing a hit in Malayalam with Kalabham in 2006
The Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate granted conditional bail to actor Bala.As part of the court’s orders, Bala is strictly forbidden from discussing his ex-wife, Amrutha Suresh, or their daughter on social media platforms.
Additionally, he is required to be accessible for questioning whenever the investigating authorities summon him.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula, with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
