"Deliberate character assassination": Ansiba Hassan files complaint against Shwetha Menon and Lakshmi Priya

KOCHI: Popular actress Ansiba Hassan has approached the Palarivattom Police, filing a formal defamation complaint over what she describes as a malicious and coordinated smear campaign against her on social media.
In her complaint, Ansiba has named former office-bearers of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA)—including former President Shwetha Menon and former Vice President Lakshmi Priya—accusing them of deliberately circulating derogatory content online to tarnish her professional reputation and personal dignity.

The legal action follows controversial remarks made by actress Lakshmi Priya during a recent interview with an online media channel. Lakshmi Priya publicly levelled serious allegations against Ansiba, claiming she was an alcoholic and alleging that an unidentified man had visited her room under suspicious circumstances.
"I have purchased alcohol for Ansiba. On one occasion, a man arrived at her room late at night with his face covered. While Ansiba claimed it was her brother, it raises questions as to why a sibling would conceal his identity. She needs to prove that the television channel producer in question did not visit her room," Lakshmi Priya stated in the interview.
Ansiba has vehemently denied these claims, characterising them as a calculated attempt to orchestrate a public character assassination.

According to the police complaint, Ansiba alleges that the defamatory campaign is deeply rooted in personal animosity stemming from the ongoing internal turmoil within AMMA. The friction escalated following the mass resignation of several executive committee members, including Shwetha Menon, during the association’s General Body meeting held on June 21.

Ansiba contends that Shwetha and Lakshmi Priya conspired to publicly humiliate her as retaliation for these administrative shifts. Furthermore, the complaint contains a serious accusation pointing to institutionalised mudslinging: Ansiba claims that following her resignation, Shwetha Menon entered into an illicit agreement with a Thiruvananthapuram-based public relations agency specifically to manufacture and amplify fake news targeting Ansiba across various social media platforms.
The Palarivattom Police have initiated an inquiry into the matter based on the actress's statement.