A Kerala Court today directed the police probe against actor Lakshmi Priya and two CAN Channel representatives based on a private complaint preferred by Drishyam-starrer Ansiba Hassan accusing them of making sexually coloured remarks and circulating objectionable content against her.

Smt. Shana Beegam, Judicial First Class Magistrate IX (Ernakulam), ordered that the private complaint be forwarded to the police as per Section 175(3) BNSS.

Section 175(3) BNSS empowers the Magistrate to order police investigation on receipt of information of commission of cognizable offences.

Hassan had preferred the complaint stating that the accused persons circulated objectionable videos of her on social media with an intent to tarnish her reputation and subject her to harassment and public humiliation.

She has alleged that the accused committed offences under Sections 75(iv) [Sexual harassment] and 79 [Word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman] of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 67 [Punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form] and 67A [Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act, etc., in electronic form] of the Information Technology Act, and Section 119(a) of the Kerala Police Act, 2011 [Punishment for atrocities against women].

Though she had approached the police authorities on various occasions, no FIR was registered, prompting her to approach the Magistrate with a private complaint. The Magistrate court had earlier passed an order declining to give a direction to the police to investigate the allegations.

Against this order, Ansiba had moved the High Court. The High Court went on to direct the Magistrate to consider the complaint afresh to see if police investigation is warranted in this case for collection of evidence, etc. It is pursuant to the fresh consideration that the complaint has been forwarded to the police for registration of FIR and investigation.

Case No: Crl. MP(Complaint)/1197/2026

Case Title: Ansiba Hassan v. Lakshmi Priya and Ors.

Counsel for the petitioner: Muhammed Firdouz A.V., Gentle C.D.