A Hyderabad court on Tuesday recorded actor Nagarjuna’s statement in the criminal defamation complaint filed by him against Telangana Minister Konda Surekha over her alleged comments about the divorce of his son Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
The actor had filed the complaint against Surekha under Section 356 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
She stirred up a controversy last week by alleging that BRS leader KT Rama Rao was the reason behind Prabhu and Chaitanya's divorce in 2021.
Surekha, Minister of Forest, withdrew her remarks that triggered strong reactions from political leaders and the Telugu cinema industry.
She had said that she had to take the names of the actors after she became emotional over the comments made by Rama Rao, the BRS working president, about her.
In his complaint, a copy of which was shared by son Naga Chaitanya on his social media, Nagarjuna alleged that the minister's remarks damaged his family's reputation.
Prabhu and Chaitanya had criticised the minister's comments and said their divorce was a mutual and personal decision.
Nagarjuna, who was accompanied by his wife Amala and Naga Chaitanya, reached the court at Nampally in the afternoon.
Besides Nagarjuna, the statement of Supriya, a witness in the complaint and a niece of the actor, was also recorded, Nagarjuna's lawyer Ashok Reddy said.
Nagarjuna in his complaint submitted that using the public platform available to Konda Surekha as a public figure, the accused, while speaking to the media on October 2, while attending Gandhi Jayanti program made defamatory statements concerning the complainant and his family.
The matter has been posted for consideration on October 10.
Reacting strongly to Surekha’s comments, many prominent personalities from the Telugu film industry termed it as derogatory.
The Nagarjuna Akkineni family is widely regarded for its contributions to Indian cinema, with generations of actors commanding admiration and respect. Additionally, Naga Chaitanya's former spouse, Samantha, is a celebrated actress with a significant following and an impeccable reputation in her own right.
