“Will we need a special court to hear petitions from AMMA?” asks the Kerala HC

Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) office in Kochi. (Photo File)

The Kerala High Court has criticized the high number of petitions arising out of disputes between members of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The court said this while considering an application to quash the first information report (FIR) filed against actor Lakshmipriya and others on a complaint filed by fellow actor Ansiba Hassan.

Justice Jobin Sebastian asked the state to respond to the petition filed by Ms. Lakshmipriya, her husband P. Jayesh and Thripunithura Sub-Inspector Vanitha Cell Reshma. “Will we need special courts to hear cases arising out of disputes under AMMA? Common people’s problems are waiting for us to solve these problems,” the court observed.

The FIR charged the three accused with offenses under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, 2023 and the Kerala Police Act, 2011, including intimidation, illegal detention, forgery, vexatious search, seizure or detention and charging a public servant with disobeying the law and causing injury.

Initial complaint

Ms. Lakshmipriya had initially filed a complaint with the Tripunithura Women’s Cell, alleging that Ms. Hassan had caused family disputes between her and Mr. Jayesh through a WhatsApp message. In this regard, Ms. Hassan was summoned by Sub-Inspector Reshma, who informed her that a case had been registered on the basis of Ms. Lakshmipriya’s complaint.

Subsequently, Ms. Hassan filed a complaint with the Station House Officer, Hill Palace Police Station, Ernakulam, alleging that “the defendant illegally summoned her, unduly restrained her, intimidated her and forced her to sign a statement, prepared and used records which were against her interests and damaged her reputation”.

‘Threat’

She complained that Ms. Reshma threatened her that if she did not answer the questions, she would be implicated in criminal proceedings and sent to jail. She stated that Ms. Lakshmipriya then arrived and joined Ms. Reshma in questioning. She also stated that she was forced to apologize to Mr. Jayesh and was then forced to sign a statement outlining the settlement that did not reflect her side.

In her petition, Ms. Lakshmipriya argued that the filing of a genuine complaint cannot be construed as a forgery and that Ms. Hassan dragged a supposedly resolved issue to AMMA, which escalated into more serious disputes. She also said that Ms. Hassan had recently lodged complaints against her and other prominent members of AMMA at various police stations in the city. Ms. Lakshmipriya also alleged that Ms. Hassan was intent on tarnishing the fame and reputation she and her colleagues had.

Published – 28 Sep 2026 16:35 IST