Ex-Indian state minister nabbed for allegedly raping Malaysian actress
FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
-June 20, 2021 5:51 PM
Shantini Theva has alleged that she had been in a live-in relationship with former state minister M Manikandan.PETALING JAYA: A former Indian state minister was arrested in Bengaluru, India, today after allegedly raping a Malaysian Indian actress, along with a slew of other alleged offences.
M Manikandan, who served as Tamil Nadu’s IT minister from 2016 to 2019, has been charged with rape, causing miscarriage, causing hurt, cheating and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code. He has also been charged under the IT Act.
M Manikandan.Manikandan’s arrest precedes a complaint lodged by actress Shantini Theva with Indian police last month.
She had claimed to have been in a live-in relationship with Manikandan for five years, and that he had promised to marry her despite being already married.
According to a report in the Indian newspaper The Hindu, Manikandan was refused “anticipatory bail” on Wednesday.
The report said Shantini alleged that Manikandan made her pregnant thrice, forced her to get abortions, and threatened her family members in Malaysia when she insisted that he marry her.
In a separate report in another newspaper, The Indian Express, Shantini alleged that the former state minister attacked her on multiple occasions, blackmailed her by threatening to release their intimate photos and videos online, and issued death threats.
The former state minister has reportedly denied all the allegations.
The Hindu’s report stated that Manikandan was introduced to Shantini in 2017 and he developed a friendship on the pretext of investing in Malaysia.
Case filed against former Indian minister after Malaysian actress lodged complaint
THE EDGE MARKETS
May 31, 2021
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+AKUALA LUMPUR (May 31): Two days after Malaysian actress Shantini Theva lodged a complaint against former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Minister M Manikandan, accusing him of cheating her, the Adyar All-Women Police Station registered a case against him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including rape.
In a report yesterday, Indian publication The Hindu said Manikandan was booked under different sections of the IPC, including 376 (rape), 313 (causing miscarriage without the woman’s consent), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 417 (punishment for cheating), 506 (i) (criminal intimidation) and the IT Act.
Theva alleged that Manikandan threatened her and her family members in Malaysia when she insisted on him marrying her.
Accompanied by her lawyer, Theva last week lodged the complaint with the deputy commissioner of police, crime against women and children, and later released a copy of her complaint to the media.
She acted in the film Nadodigal and used to visit the city when she was working for Malaysian tourism.
The actress said Manikandan was introduced to her in 2017 when he was the information technology minister and then he developed friendship with her on the pretext of investing in Malaysia.
The Hindu said Theva lodged a formal complaint against Manikandan with Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Against Women and Children H Jayalakshmi in Chennai last Friday, and it was transferred to the Adyar AWPS for investigation.
Further investigation is on, it said.
Malaysian actress files complaint against Indian ex-minister — report
theedgemarkets.com
May 29, 2021
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+AKUALA LUMPUR (May 29): Malaysian actress Shantini Theva has lodged a complaint with the Chennai city police against former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Minister Dr M Manikandan for cheating her after having a relationship with her for five years.
In a report yesterday, Indian publication The Hindu said Theva alleged that Manikandan promised to marry her but abandoned her after she became pregnant.
She alleged that he had threatened her and her family members in Malaysia when she insisted on him marrying her.
Accompanied by her lawyer, Theva lodged the complaint with the deputy commissioner of police, crime against women and children, and later released a copy of her complaint to the media.
She acted in the film Nadodigal and used to visit the city when she was working for Malaysian tourism.
The actress said Manikandan was introduced to her in 2017 when he was the information technology minister and then he developed friendship with her on the pretext of investing in Malaysia.
Within a few days, he proposed to her and expressed an interest to marry her even though he had a wife.
She claimed that both were living in a house in Besant Nagar and he used to stay with her when he was in the city. As a couple, they both travelled to several places.
The report added that Theva said she had evidence of Manikandan staying with her and that his aides were aware of the relationship.
She alleged that she had become pregnant three times and was forced by him to abort, saying that they could have a baby after a formal marriage.
He lived with her until April and later pressured her to leave India.
The Hindu said Manikandan denied all her allegations and claimed that he did not know her.
