The Kerala High Court on Friday (June 19) directed the Station House Officer of Central Police Station, Ernakulam to grant police protection to the viral Kumbh Mela star Monalisa Bhosle.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas remarked that he was prima facie satisfied that protection should be granted to Monalisa:

"Having heard the learned counsel for the petitioner as well as the learned Government Pleader, I am, prima facie, satisfied that the petitioner ought to be afforded protection for her life. Accordingly, there will be a direction to the second respondent to provide adequate protection to the life of the petitioner, pending disposal of the Writ Petition."

The case is posted to July 10 for further consideration.

The development comes in a plea moved by Monalisa alleging that hate campaigns were propagated against her on mainstream media and online platforms following her marriage with Farmaan, a Muslim man.

In her plea, it is stated that photos of her and her husband were burned and beaten up with chappals in the streets in agitation. She has also stated that she had received threatening messages from unknown persons in her mobile phone:

"It is further submitted that the petitioner received a text message in Hindi saying "you have become a trending star during the Mahakumbh mela and now you have married a Pakistani. So the day we find you, our group will shoot you. Tell jai shreeram, or Yogi Adityanadh ji, or BJP Modiji." from a mobile phone having number..."

Thus, she came before the High Court seeking police protection.

The young woman, who became popularly known as the "viral Kumbh Mela star", shot to nation-wide fame during the Maha Kumbh celebrations last year, after videos of her selling rudraksha garlands at the mela circulated widely on social media.

In March 2026, the girl, who was in Kerala for a film-shooting, sought the help of local police, alleging that her family was opposing her marriage to Farmaan. She later married Farmaan.

Subsequently, her father filed a complaint before the Madhya Pradesh police station accusing Farmaan of abducting her. The couple moved the Kerala High Court seeking interim bail and earlier this month, the Court had granted Farmaan 1-month transit bail so as to enable him to approach the courts in MP for bail.

The petition is moved by Advocates P.S. Anishad, Limna Bhaskaran, Sreeparvathi G.V., Samuel Sabu, K.K. Preetha and Siya Ummer.

Case No: WP(C) No. 21065 of 2026

Case Title: Monalisa v. State of Kerala and Anr.

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