Actress Navya Nair fined Rs 1.14 lakh at Melbourne Airport for carrying jasmine flowers
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Actress Navya Nair was fined Rs 1.14 lakh (AUD 1,980) at Melbourne Airport in Australia for carrying jasmine flowers during her recent trip.
Women wearing flowers in their hair is common in South India.
Jasmine flowers are not illegal in Australia, but bringing them into the country without following strict biosecurity regulations is a violation of the law.
Australia has some of the world's strictest biosecurity laws to protect its unique environment and agriculture from foreign pests and diseases. Fresh plant materials, including flowers, are considered a biosecurity risk.
Navya was traveling to Melbourne to take part in Onam celebrations organised by the Malayali Association of Victoria when she was stopped at Melbourne International Airport for carrying a 15 cm-long jasmine gajra.
Speaking at a public event, she explained, “Before I came here, it was my father who bought jasmine for me. He cut it into two parts and gave it to me. He asked me to wear one in my hair from Kochi to Singapore, since it would wither by the time I reached. He told me to keep the second one in my handbag so I could wear it on the onward journey from Singapore. I put it in my carry bag.”
She admitted her mistake, saying, “What I did was against the law. It was a mistake I made unknowingly. However, ignorance is no excuse. For bringing a 15 cm jasmine string, officials asked me to pay a fine of AUD 1,980 (Rs 1.14 lakh). A mistake is a mistake, though it was not intentional. They told me the fine must be paid within 28 days.”
Despite the fine, Navya continued to celebrate Onam with enthusiasm and shared a reel of the festivities.
Two days before traveling to Melbourne, she posted pictures from the flight where she is seen wearing a jasmine gajra. She captioned it, “Happy Onam. First-ever Thiruvonam in the skies! Though I miss being in naadu, carrying the spirit of Onam with me is a joy of its own. Work calls — and that too is another happiness. Onboard Singapore Airlines… Melbourne, here I come!”
Navya Nair is a two-time Kerala State Film Award winner for Best Actress. She made her acting debut in Sibi Malayil’s Ishtam (2001) and has starred in popular films like Nandanam, Mazhathullikkilukkam, Kunjikoonan, Kalyanaraman, Vellithira, Ammakilikkoodu, Gramophone, Pattanathil Sundaran, Jalolsavam, Chathikkatha Chanthu, Azhagiya Theeye, Pandippada, Saira, and Kanne Madanguka in Malayalam, Tamil, and Kannada.
