Kerala Court grants bail to Malayalam actor Bala accused of stalking ex-wife

A Kerala court on Monday granted bail to Malayalam actor Bala in a case registered against him based on a police complaint filed by his ex-wife.

A Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ernakulam passed the order granting him bail subject to the condition that he does not make any public statements to journalists or on social media. The bail is also subject to the condition that he avoids contact with his daughter and ex-wife.

The Court, however, rejected the ex-wife's request to be impleaded in the case, opining that it is unnecessary to implead her at this preliminary stage.

Bala was taken into custody from his apartment earlier this morning along with his manager Rajesh. One Ananthakrishnan has also been named as the third accused in the case.

The charges against Bala and his co-accused include Section 78 (stalking), Section 79 (words or acts done with the intention of insulting a woman’s modesty), 356(2) (defamation), and Section 3(5) (criminal act done with common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 75 (punishment for cruelty to a child) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

According to the FIR, the complaint alleged that the actor had humiliated his ex-wife and their 12-year-old daughter by putting up posts and videos on social media disparaging and defaming them. It was also alleged that Bala and the co-accused were stalking them both online and offline.

It was further claimed Bala failed in his responsibility to protect his child and that his actions had caused their minor daughter emotional and mental distress.