Veteran Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna has officially withdrawn his high-profile defamation case against Telangana’s Endowments and Forest Minister, Konda Surekha. The issue was resolved after the minister publicly apologized for her remarks.
The court closed the case after Minister Surekha issued a midnight apology and held discussions with senior Congress leaders and a few Bollywood producers, bringing an end to a year-long legal and social controversy.
On Thursday, the court formally dropped the case. Nagarjuna’s lawyer informed the court that they were withdrawing the private complaint against Minister Surekha under Section 280 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
According to Section 280 of the BNSS, a complainant can withdraw a complaint in a summons case if the magistrate finds sufficient reasons to allow it, leading to the accused being cleared of charges. The court accepted the withdrawal request and closed the matter.
Konda Surekha, the Minister, apologizes to Nagarjuna on Social Media
Minister Surekha posted a formal apology on X late on November 12, just hours before the scheduled hearing, marking a major turning point in the case.
In her post, Konda Surekha wrote: “I would like to clarify that the statement I made regarding @iamnagarjuna Garu was not intended to hurt Nagarjuna Garu or his family members. I had no intention of defaming or offending them. I regret any misunderstanding caused by my remarks and hereby withdraw them.”
The controversy began in October 2024, when Minister Surekha made remarks at a public event criticizing KT Rama Rao of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). During her speech, she also referred to the private matters of the Akkineni family.
What Went Wrong Between Nagarjuna and Konda Surekha?
The issue escalated when she commented on Nagarjuna’s son, Naga Chaitanya, and his public divorce from actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu in 2021. She accused KT Rama Rao of influencing the breakup and linked it to the Akkineni family’s N-Convention Centre controversy. These comments led Nagarjuna to file a defamation case against her.
