AceShowbiz - "Harry Potter" star Afshan Azad has begged a court to drop death-threat charges against her father and brother, insisting she "dearly loves" them both. The actress, who plays witch Padma Patil in the wizard movies, alleged her two family members attacked her at her home in Manchester, England in May.

Her father Abdul and brother Ashraf were said to have argued with the Muslim star after overhearing her on the phone to her Hindu boyfriend, demanding that she end the relationship. The argument allegedly escalated, with the pair threatening to kill the actress.

Afshan appeared at a Manchester court on Monday, July 12 in a separate room from her relatives, who were committed for trial despite her plea to drop the charges. In a statement, the star said: "I dearly love my father and brother. The proceedings have caused me no end of distress and if it goes ahead, it will make things much worse for me."

Prosecutor Jennifer Baines told the court, "The alleged argument essentially stems from the brother finding out that his sister was in a relationship with a Hindu male. This leads to what the Crown would say is an assault on her, with the Bengali words, 'Just kill her' said."

A lawyer for Ashraf Azad argued: "Over the last several weeks the complainant in this matter has made it clear to the prosecution directly that she does not support the prosecution at all in this matter."

The men have been granted bail on the condition they do not contact Afshan. The case is due to be heard on August 23.