The title of Miss South India has been taken back from actress Meera Mitun because she was allegedly involved in fraudulent activities. Actress Sanam Shetty has replaced her as the title winner.
Ahead of the announcement on May 30, Meera Mitun had lodged a complaint saying she and 14 other women associated with the beauty pageant Miss Tamil Nadu which she conducts, were receiving death threats, and her phone was allegedly hacked to circulate false news against her.
A Facebook post by Miss South India page announced later that her title was being withdrawn.
Ajith Ravi, an executive with the pageant, and one of the four people against whom she complained, told Silverscreen, “There was a complaint against Meera Mitun filed by a designer from TN on May 24, who had said that she misused the Miss Tamil Nadu title along with Miss South India logo and title, to borrow Rs 50,000. She shared our company’s details even though we have no role in the pageant she conducts. She does not have the right to do so. The designer approached us saying she was cheated of the money, so we decided to take back the title from her.”
He shared a copy of the complaint and the Meera Mitun’s promotional material which uses both the pageant logos. He also said that he had been receiving threats from her.
Another post announced that the title will now go to Tamil and Telugu actress and model Sanam Shetty, who was the first runner up of the 2016 Miss South India event.
Meanwhile, Meera Mitun said in her complaint that people were spreading false rumours to disrupt her beauty pageant work, and they sent death threats to her and the 14 participants of this year’s Miss Tamil Nadu. The complaint was filed against Ajith Ravi, and three other people – Joe Michael, Praveen and Malarkodi – who are said to be associated with him. Details about the rumours they spread are not known yet.
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After lodging the complaint, Meera met the press and said, “There are several people from other states and brands who don’t want the event to be held. I have been facing problems for the last eight months, but they have increased now, with threat calls late at night. They have hacked my phone and website, and have spread rumours against me on social media. They are doing this to disturb the event. They are also threatening my sponsors, designers, and models.”
She sought immediate action and police protection for the event. Her complaint was also forwarded to the T Nagar deputy commissioner of police.
Meera won Miss South India title in 2016. A year later she made her acting debut with 8 Thottakkal, and in 2018 she also acted in Vignesh Shivn’s Thaanaa Serndha Koottam, starring Suriya, Keerthy Suresh and Kalaiyarasan.