Why did actor Nagarjuna withdraw defamation case against Minister Konda Surekha

Hyderabad: The high-profile criminal defamation case filed by veteran actor Akkineni Nagarjuna against Endowments and Forest Minister Konda Surekha has been dismissed as withdrawn.

Congress leaders helped with mediation

According to sources, Bollywood producers who have a good rapport with the Congress government helped mediate the case.

With their assistance, a senior leader from the Telangana government and a senior All-India Congress Committee (AICC) leader from New Delhi spoke to minister Konda Surekha and actor Nagarjuna, which led to the apology and later withdrawal of the court case.

The case was dismissed on November 13. The development follows a dramatic midnight public apology issued by Minister Surekha on social media, signalling an end to the year-long legal and social controversy.

Case dismissed

Actor Nagarjuna informed the court, under Section 280 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), that he is withdrawing his private complaint against the minister. The court accepted the petition on Thursday and subsequently closed the case, dismissing it as withdrawn.

Section 280 of the BNSS permits a complainant in a summons case to withdraw their complaint if they satisfy the magistrate that there are sufficient grounds, leading to the acquittal of the accused.

Midnight apology by Minister Surekha

The withdrawal comes on the heels of Minister Surekha’s formal apology posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) late on November 12 at 12:02 am—the same day the case was scheduled for a hearing. This timing immediately sparked speculation about a potential out-of-court settlement or an effort to mitigate legal repercussions.

In her post, Konda Surekha stated: “I would wish to clarify that the statement I had made in relation to @iamnagarjuna Garu was not intended to hurt Nagarjuna Garu or his family members. I had no intention of hurting or defaming Akkineni Nagarjuna Garu or his family members. I regret any unintended impression given in my statements in relation to them and withdraw the same.”

The controversy and allegations

The dispute began in October 2024 when Minister Surekha, while criticising Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) at a public event, dragged the personal lives of the Akkineni family into a political debate.

The core of the controversy involved the Minister making comments about the highly publicised 2021 divorce of Nagarjuna’s son, actor Naga Chaitanya and actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu. She reportedly alleged that KTR was involved in the reasons behind the split and made derogatory remarks, suggesting the family’s N-Convention Centre controversy was a factor.

Nagarjuna and the Akkineni family condemned the remarks, asserting that the comments had severely damaged the family’s dignity and decades-long reputation.

Nagarjuna had then filed a private criminal defamation complaint, reportedly seeking Rs 100 crore in damages under the relevant section of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Both Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya had appeared before the court to record their statements during the legal proceedings.