Actress
Bhanupriya is in the dock for allegedly ill-treating her maid, a 14-year-old girl from Andhra Pradesh. In a police complaint, the girl’s mother, P Prabhavathi, has alleged that the actress did not pay her daughter salary for the last several months and the actor's brother apparently had misbehaved with her. However, Bhanupriya has said that the girl's mother has made a false allegation and she or her family members have never ill-treated the maid.
Bhanupriya said that the girl had stolen valuables worth around 1.5 lakhs and when found out, her family offered to return them. However, after taking advice from certain sources, they have now foisted a case on her, she stated. The girl hails from East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh and her mother, a widow, has filed the case in Samalkot police station. She has alleged that when she came to Chennai to meet her daughter last month, she was denied entry and the actor’s brother refused to send her daughter home citing that other maids were on leave. In her complaint, the complainant has alleged that the actor has asked for Rs 10 lakhs to send back her daughter.
Employing those below 14 years for work is an offense punishable under the child labour act and it can fetch a punishment of two years of imprisonment and Rs 50,000 penalty. However, Bhanupriya said stated that she hired the girl through an agent and was not aware of the girl's age when she employed her has domestic help.
Bhanupriya is a popular actor and voice-over artiste. She has done several hit movies in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.