Nagarjuna Files Defamation Case Against Telangana Minister Konda Surekha Over Remarks on Naga Chaitanya-Samantha Divorce

Hyderabad: Telugu actor Nagarjuna Akkineni has filed a criminal and defamation lawsuit against Telangana Forest and Environment Minister Konda Surekha in Nampally court. The legal action follows the Minister’s recent controversial comments regarding the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Naga Chaitanya shared the complaint details on X (formerly Twitter).

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— chaitanya akkineni (@chay_akkineni) October 3, 2024

In his complaint, Nagarjuna accuses Surekha of making defamatory statements aimed at tarnishing the Akkineni family’s reputation. The legal filing includes criminal defamation charges, which carry serious legal consequences, as well as a civil defamation suit seeking monetary damages for the damage caused.

The controversy stems from Konda Surekha’s public remarks, where she linked Telangana Minister K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) to drug-related parties and insinuated that his involvement led to the separation of Naga Chaitanya and Samantha. Speaking at an event, Surekha also made inflammatory allegations about KTR seeking inappropriate favours from the Akkineni family, which she claimed contributed to the demolition of the family’s N-Convention Centre and the subsequent divorce of the star couple.

In response, Nagarjuna condemned the Minister’s remarks, calling them “irrelevant and false.” He urged Konda Surekha to respect the privacy of film stars and avoid dragging them into political battles. “Don’t use the lives of those who are not involved in politics to target your opponents,” Nagarjuna tweeted in Telugu.

Chaitanya and Samantha, who announced their separation in 2021, officially divorced later. Chaitanya is now engaged to actor Sobhita Dhulipala, as of August 2024.