Malayalam filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan was detained at Mumbai Airport on Sunday, September 7, 2025, due to a lookout notice issued by Kerala police in connection with a harassment case filed by a Malayalam actress. Sasidharan confirmed his detention via a Facebook post, stating he was taken into custody as part of the lookout notice from the Kochi City Police. He expressed his belief that the police and the communist party in Kerala would treat him according to the law, while also claiming to be unaware of the case against him.

The case against Sasidharan dates back to January 2025, when Elamakkara police registered a case against him for allegedly harassing a prominent Malayalam actress on social media. At that time, Sasidharan was in the United States, which led to the issuance of the lookout circular to detain him upon his return to India.

Sasidharan has been actively posting updates on Facebook regarding his detention. In his posts, he has raised questions about the necessity of the lookout notice, particularly referencing a 2022 case filed against him by the same actress, for which there has been no verdict. He also alleged that he was not provided with food or water after being detained at the airport. "I'm still sitting right here. No food or water. A team is coming from Kochi to pick me up," he wrote.

He also attempted to justify his actions, stating that his actions were out of concern for the actress's safety. According to Sasidharan, Section 354 (1) of the penal code states that if a man follows them out of concern for the safety of a woman, it is not stalking. He claims that he has been raising concerns about the safety of the actress from the beginning.

Confirming the detention, a police officer stated that the Kochi City Police are in contact with Mumbai airport authorities. A team from Kochi is expected to travel to Mumbai to take Sasidharan into custody for further questioning and legal proceedings. Officers from the Elamakkara police station are scheduled to escort Sasidharan to Kerala by train and are expected to arrive tomorrow morning. He will then be taken to Elamakkara for further legal procedures.

This is not the first time Sasidharan has faced legal issues related to the actress. He was previously arrested in May 2022 for allegedly stalking her online but was later granted bail by the Aluva Judicial First Class Magistrate. Sasidharan has criticized the police's handling of his transfer from the airport via social media.