The Kerala High Court on has directed the police to provide protection to viral Kumbh Mela sensation Monalisa Bhosle, who alleged threats to her life following her marriage to Mohammed Farmaan Khan.
Photo: IANS
The Kerala High Court on has directed the police to provide protection to viral Kumbh Mela sensation Monalisa Bhosle, who alleged threats to her life following her marriage to Mohammed Farmaan Khan.
A single bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas ruled that the petitioner had shown a prima facie need for protection and directed the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Central Police Station, Ernakulam, to ensure her safety until the disposal of her writ petition.
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“Having heard the learned counsel for the petitioner as well as the learned Government Pleader, I am, prima facie, satisfied that the petitioner ought to be afforded protection for her life,” the court observed.
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The court directed the SHO of Central Police Station, Ernakulam, to provide necessary protection to Monalisa pending the final disposal of the petition.
Monalisa approached the High Court after allegedly facing hate campaigns and receiving direct death threats through text messages. One such message, according to her petition, falsely accused her of marrying a Pakistani and threatened that a group would shoot her.
In her plea, Monalisa alleged that hate campaigns were carried out against her on mainstream media platforms and online forums following her marriage to Farmaan Khan, a Muslim man.
She further claimed that photographs of her and her husband were burnt and assaulted with slippers during street protests. She also stated that she had received threatening messages from unknown persons on her mobile phone.
The petition stated, “It is further submitted that the petitioner received a text message in Hindi saying, ‘You became a trending star during the Mahakumbh Mela and now you have married a Pakistani. So, the day we find you, our group will shoot you. Tell Jai Shri Ram, or Yogi Adityanath ji, or BJP Modi ji.’”
Despite filing complaints with the police and the City Police Commissioner, Monalisa said she continued to fear for her safety and was unable to pursue her acting career due to the threats.
Monalisa, popularly known as the “viral Kumbh Mela star”, rose to nationwide fame during the Maha Kumbh celebrations last year after videos of her selling rudraksha garlands at the mela went viral on social media.
In March 2026, while she was in Kerala for a film shoot, Monalisa sought police assistance, alleging that her family was opposing her marriage to Mohammed Farmaan Khan. She later married him.
Subsequently, her father filed a complaint with the Madhya Pradesh Police accusing Farmaan Khan of abducting her. The couple then approached the Kerala High Court seeking interim relief. Earlier this month, the court granted Farmaan Khan one-month transit bail to enable him to approach courts in Madhya Pradesh for regular bail.
The matter has been posted for further consideration on July 10.
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