Kerala actor charged with abusing woman gets bail

Award-winning Malayalam actor Vinayakan, who was accused by a woman of abusing her in a phone conversation, was on Thursday granted bail.

The Kalpetta police station in Wayanad had registered a case against the actor on June 15 after activist Mridula complained that Vinayak had abused her when she called him up to request his presence at an event.

Even though the woman hails from Kottayam, the incident occurred while she was in Kalpetta and hence the complaint was registered here.

Accompanied by his legal counsel, Vinayakan turned up on Thursday morning at the Kalpetta police station to surrender. Oolice formally arrested him and then released him on bail, as the offence was of a category where the police station could grant bail.

The actor's phone was confiscated and will be sent for forensic tests.

Vinayakan denied saying bad to the complainant.

Known for his offbeat roles and his mannerisms, which has made him popular among cine-goers, Vinayakan was presented the best actor award by the Kerala government for his role in "Kammattipaadam" (2016).