Kerala govt protects those responsible for sexual exploitation in film industry: UDF

Satheesan alleged that Justice Hema had only said that the report should be made public in line with the Supreme Court’s directive that information of victims of sexual exploitation should not be made public.

“The CM has misinterpreted and lied,” he alleged during a protest programme organised by the Mahila Congress in Kochi.

The allegation was denied by CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan, who said the Ministry of Culture had Justice Hema’s letter in its possession.

Govindan, addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, reiterated what the CM had said a few days ago about the release of the report and the steps taken by the government based on it.

He also said that the matter is now before the Kerala High Court and further action will be taken as per the court’s directions.

Speaking in Kochi, Satheesan accused the state government, the home minister and the culture ministers in the previous and current Left governments of covering up the report’s findings for over four years.

He stated that the government has an obligation to initiate a case and conduct an investigation when a crime has been committed.

He claimed that by not taking action the government was trying to protect the privacy of the perpetrators and not that of the victims.

The opposition leader alleged that former Minister of State for Culture AK Balan had said that nothing had been done based on the report as it was received during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Does this mean the government will not prosecute any crime committed during COVID?” he asked.

Satheesan said if the government does nothing, it will humiliate innocent people in the industry as the public will judge everyone on the same scale.

Satheesan said the opposition was taking a pro-women stand and not a political stand.

He said the opposition will not allow the government to hold a conclave in Kochi without first punishing the culprits and ensuring justice to the victims.

The state government is planning to hold a meeting to discuss the issues faced by women in the film industry.

Earlier in the day, Satheesan had written a letter to Vijayan and the current Culture Minister Saji Cherian, urging the formation of a special team, headed by a woman IPS officer, to conduct an investigation based on the statements and evidence provided to the commission by victims of sexual harassment, exploitation, assault and other human rights violations.

However, Balan has argued that the courts have held that an FIR cannot be filed based on the findings of a commission.

“This was the finding of the Supreme Court in the Oommen Chandy case. Therefore, the state government cannot suo motu (on its own) file an FIR on the basis of the commission report,” Balan said.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Human Rights Commission (KHRC), based on a complaint filed with it and the commission’s report released by the media, has indicated that there are widespread human rights violations in the Malayalam film industry that require further investigation.

K Byjunath, member of the KHRC judiciary, asked the chief secretary and the state police chief to study the report of the commission and the complaint before the commission in detail and submit a response within two weeks on the action the government intends to take in the matter.

The commission’s order came about following a complaint by a Kannur-based lawyer demanding action against those responsible for the human rights violations cited in the Hema Commission report.

Satheesan reiterated in his letter that despite the 2019 Hema Commission report revealing that serious sexual offences had been committed, including offences falling under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the government had shelved the findings and failed to conduct an investigation.

According to him, this poses a challenge to the country’s legal system.

Satheesan also reminded Chief Minister Vijayan that concealment or non-reporting of violations under the POCSO Act is also a criminal offence.

On Tuesday, Vijayan said at a press conference that the commission never recommended that the issues discussed in the report should be investigated by registering cases. He said if any of the women who gave statements to the commission come forward to file a complaint, there will be appropriate intervention from the government.

The Hema committee report, a redacted version of which was made public earlier this week, has documented explosive accounts of harassment, exploitation and abuse of female professionals in the film industry and alleged that a “criminal gang” controls the industry, where unyielding women are being squeezed dry. PTI HMP HMP SS

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