City court slaps notices on minister Surekha

Hyderabad: A city court has served notices to Telangana Minister Konda Surekha seeking an explanation over her ‘controversial’ remarks on the divorce of noted film actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The court has asked Surekha to submit her explanation by October 23.

The court issued notices based on a criminal defamation case filed against the Telangana Minister by Nagarjuna Akkineni, Naga Chaitanya's father, in the Nampally court under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The Nampally Special Magistrate Court adjourned the next hearing to October 23 after a second witness, Venkateswara, completed his testimony in the case.

The complainant said that the comments by the Minister intended to damage the social reputation of the Akkineni family. The complaint lodged both criminal and civil defamation charges and sought financial compensation for the damage caused.

Surekha stirred controversy by alleging that BRS working president KT Rama Rao had sought inappropriate favours from the Akkineni family before the family-owned N-Convention Centre was demolished. She had linked KTR to the divorce of Naga Chaitanya and Samantha, stating that "many heroines have left the film industry quickly due to KTR’s influence on their lives."

The Minister’s remarks received a backlash from the film industry. Prominent actors like Chiranjeevi, Allu Arjun, and Nani, as well as film directors and producers, strongly condemned her comments as "derogatory."