KOCHI: Malayalam filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, who was taken in police custody in Kochi, has been granted bail. The Elamakkara police in Kochi took into their custody Sanal Kumar, who was detained in Mumbai, in a case relating to the alleged online stalking and harassment of a popular woman actor.

The director was handed over to a two-member police team from Kochi by the Mumbai Sahar police on Monday. Sanal Kumar was detained at the Mumbai airport when he landed there from the USA on Sunday, based on a lookout circular issued against Sanal Kumar Sasidharan in January 2025 when the case was registered.

In a series of social media posts, including those from abroad, Sanal Kumar has continued to raise concerns over the safety of the actress, who has filed a complaint against him.

The director has repeatedly claimed that the actress was facing a threat to her life from the Mafia in the film industry, which he said had been after him, too. The Kochi police arrested the director on charges of stalking the same actress in May 2022 and granted bail later.