# Manju Warrier gets court order against Sanal Kumar over defamatory posts

2026-09-20T01:27:17+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 4 independent outlets

Actress Manju Warrier has obtained an interim injunction from the Ernakulam Munsiff Court restraining filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan from publishing defamatory content about her on social media. The Third Additional Munsiff, Smt. Reeja R Nair, issued summons to Sasidharan, journalist Shajan Skariah, and Meta on Saturday, September 19. The next hearing is set for November 5. According to the plaint, Sasidharan made unwelcome romantic advances that Warrier rejected, then continued to call and message her, prompting her to approach the police. After his arrest and bail, he posted false statements linking her to a 'sex racket deeply rooted in the Malayalam film industry' and claiming she was involved with a married man. Warrier has sought removal of defamatory posts, videos, and audio recordings from Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms. Sasidharan is currently on hunger strike outside the Kerala Secretariat demanding the release of the Hema Committee report. Warrier's lawyer Santha Mayadevi said the court has also directed Meta to take steps regarding the allegedly defamatory content on its platform.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

All four sources report the same legal facts: Manju Warrier's suit, the interim injunction, and the November 5 hearing. However, the framing of Sanal Kumar Sasidharan's conduct diverges. Livelaw.in and Times of India lead with the specific defamatory allegations from the plaint, quoting the 'sex racket' innuendo verbatim and detailing the rejected romantic advances. The News Minute emphasises the public harassment angle, calling Sasidharan's sit-in protest 'outlandish' and quoting filmmaker Dr Biju labelling it 'misogynistic'. Times Now leads with the interim order and the court's directive to Meta, framing the story around the legal remedy granted, not the underlying allegations. None of the sources question Warrier's account, and Sasidharan's defence is absent from all reports. The case's next hearing on November 5 will test whether the interim injunction holds against Sasidharan's ongoing hunger strike outside the Secretariat.

## Coverage

- livelaw.in (neutral report) <https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/kerala-court-manju-warrier-defamation-sanal-kumar-sasidharan-550900>
  Leads with detailed quotes from the plaint's 'sex racket' allegation, neutral on the merits
- timesnownews.com (neutral report) <https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/south/manju-warrier-files-defamation-case-against-sanal-kumar-sasidharan-details-article-156189480>
  Leads with the interim order and Meta directive, frames around court remedy not the dispute
- timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/manju-warrier-moves-court-against-sanal-kumar-sasidharan-seeks-removal-of-allegedly-defamatory-posts/articleshow/134362515.cms>
  Quotes plaint verbatim, includes disclaimer, adds Sasidharan's protest and brother's response for context
- thenewsminute.com (government critical) <https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/manju-warrier-files-defamation-case-against-filmmaker-sanal-kumar-after-repeated-public-attacks>
  Emphasises public harassment, quotes Dr Biju calling protest 'misogynistic', frames as repeated attacks

Tags: Ernakulam Munsiff Court, Kerala, Manju Warrier, Meta, Sanal Kumar Sasidharan
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