CHENNAI: A case filed against actress Bhanupriya by Andhra Pradesh police, by the mother of a minor girl who was the maid at her house, was transferred to Chennai police on Friday. The actress was charged under sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) IPC and Juvenile Justice Act sections 75 (causing mental or physical suffering to the child) and 79 (Keeping a child under bondage for employment).
Bhanupriya had employed a 16-year-old girl from East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh as a maid in her house. On January 24, the mother of the girl had lodged a complaint at Samalkot police station in East Godavari district that Bhanupriya and her brother Gopalakrishnan were allegedly torturing the girl to work at odd hours without proper food and pay.
On February 1, Gopalakrishnan lodged a complaint at Pondy Bazaar police station alleging that the girl had allegedly stolen 10 sovereigns, `one lakh, an iPad, a camera and two watches following which she was arrested.
On July 13, the magistrate of Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) Shanmugapriya acquitted the girl of all charges and she went back home.
Though police personnel claimed they have proof, including CCTV camera video clips, and seized stolen goods from the maid and her mother, the police team did not submit those seized valuables as exhibits before the court, said police sources.
Meanwhile, Samalkot police has now transferred the case against the actress to Pondy Bazaar police.