Case against director Ranjith after complaint by actress Sreelekha Mitra

KochiA case has been filed against director Ranjith based on the complaint of Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra.

IGP & Commissioner of Police S. Syamsundar informed ANI on Monday, “Received a complaint from the victim in the molestation case pertaining to Director Ranjith. A crime has been registered in the North police station under section 354 and the investigation will be carried out as per the mandate to be decided by the special investigation team constituted by the government for the same.”

Earlier on Monday, Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra filed a complaint with the Kochi city police against Ranjith, a day after he resigned as the chairperson of the Kerala State Chalachithra Academy.
The complaint follows allegations of sexual misconduct that Mitra recently made public.

In an email to the Kochi city police chief, Mitra described an incident in 2009, when she was in Kochi to talk about a role in the film Palerimanikkam, which Ranjith was directing.

Mitra alleged that during the conversation, Ranjith grabbed her hand and tried to touch other parts of her body with sexual intentions.

“I was invited to act in a film ‘Palerimanikkam’ directed by Ranjith. As part of the discussion, I was called to the apartment where Sri Ranjith was staying at Kaloor Kadavanthra, Kochi. During the discussion, he grabbed my hand and later tried to spread his hand to other parts of my body with sexual intentions. When I realised that his intentions were not to discuss the film and were for sexual purposes, I had to escape from the apartment and return to the hotel where I was staying. I shared my bitter experience with a script writer Sri Joshy Joseph the next day. As I was not given a return ticket, I felt compelled to seek the help of Sri Joshy Joseph,” the actress wrote in her complaint.

Mitra added that she had not initially taken legal action as she was from Kolkata and was not familiar with local legal procedures, but that she had now come forward.

“As a person hailing from Kolkata, West Bengal, I could not pursue this case further to prosecute Sri Ranjith for the offence falling under Section 354 and 354 B of the Indian Penal Code at the time of commission of the crime.”

Mitra also requested the Kochi police to treat her email as a formal complaint and take appropriate legal action against Ranjith.

“Certain submissions of the government officials were also brought to my notice and the reply would show that a written complaint is necessary to register a crime. Since the conduct of Sri Ranjith constitutes commission of a cognizable offence, a written complaint is not a requirement, as I am told, after the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court. Considering the public stand of the government officials in the State of Kerala that a written complaint is a requirement, I am submitting this complaint through an email addressed to you, since the offence has been committed within your territorial limits at DD Flats, Kadavanthra, Kochi. This can be considered as a complaint and bring the law into play as the government officials have urged to initiate criminal proceedings against an offender,” she added in her complaint.

Earlier this month, a redacted version of the Justice Hema Committee report on harassment of women in the Malayalam cinema industry was made public. It contains shocking accounts of harassment, exploitation and abuse of female professionals.

The 235-page report, released after redacting the names of witnesses and suspects, says the Malayalam film industry is controlled by about 10 to 15 male producers, directors and actors who dominate and exercise control over the industry.

The report of the three-member panel headed by a former judge of the Kerala High Court, set up by the state government in 2017, was submitted to the Pinrayi-led Kerala government in December 2019 and made public only this month.

The Kerala government on Sunday announced that it has decided to set up a special investigation team, headed by a senior police officer, to probe allegations of sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry.

“In light of recent interviews and statements by several women in the Malayalam film industry, detailing the hardships they have endured, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday convened a meeting with senior police officials,” an official release from the Chief Minister’s Office said.