In May 1985, actor Suman was arrested under a draconian Act passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly. At that time, he was the most sought-after romantic hero in Tamil cinema and his popularity was on the rise in Telugu cinema. He was accused of drugging three young women and shooting pornographic videos without their consent. He was eventually proven innocent. He was also the first person to get bail among those booked under the Goondas Act. So, here is what happened as per the gossip in the industry.
Love Story or Revenge?:
Recently, veteran director Sagar, in an interview, stated that Suman was victimized by a powerful person. And that person was MGR, the then CM of Tamil Nadu. Allegedly, a top cop in Tamil Nadu was the reason for influencing MGR to arrest Suman in a false sexual assault and rape case.
The top cop's married daughter was in love with Suman. It was a one-sided love story. She used to stalk Suman and appear on the sets of his films. The top cop warned him to stay away from his daughter. Suman told him he had made no mistake. The cop took issue with MGR, who asked Suman to meet him. When MGR asked him to stay away from the cop's daughter, Suman firmly told him it was the woman who was shadowing him and not the other way around. That's when the vendetta began, as per veteran filmmaker Sagar.
What did Suman say in 1985?
However, in a writ petition filed by Suman in 1985, some other turn of events were stated by him. As per him, a powerful liquor baron's daughter had eloped with Diwakar, who was Suman's friend. The baron believed that Suman could have outed the elopement plan and prevented the event but didn't. So, the baron avenged it and got Suman arrested.
Suman was lucky:
Suman's mother was an old classmate of then Tamil Nadu Governor, Alexander. She could secure an appointment with the Governor, who played a role in influencing his bail within six months. Otherwise, getting out on bail was nearly impossible since it was a Goondas Act case.
Also, when Suman was put in solitary confinement, Karunanidhi was in the same jail. He argued with jail authorities to treat Suman less harshly. Since he was a political heavyweight, the authorities obliged.
What did Suman say in recent interviews?:
He turned philosophical in a recent interview and said that Karma is the best dispenser of fruits. "Those who commit bad deeds will surely pay the price," he said. Mohan Babu was one of the few persons in the film industry who supported him after he was out on bail. "I will never forget his moral support," Suman said recently.
