SIT to probe sexual exploitation in film industry, fails to comply with police act | Kerala News

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations of sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry. However, it has emerged that the team was constituted without following due procedures.

The Chief Minister’s office on Sunday issued a press release announcing the formation of the SIT, but the Home Ministry is yet to issue the official government order required to legitimize it. The SIT, set up under Section 21(2)(B) of the Kerala Police Act, will be headed by Inspector General G Sparjan Kumar and supervised by Additional Director General of Police H Venkatesh of the Crime Branch.

However, the SIT is given powers of investigation only after the government order is officially released. In earlier cases like the Solar scam, SIT formations followed this legal procedure. Since this SIT was announced through a press release from the Chief Minister’s office, its power to conduct a thorough investigation is legally challengeable. Critics may argue that the team has not been constituted in accordance with the Kerala Police Act.

Given this background, the scope of the SIT is likely to be limited to specific complaints against individuals rather than a broad investigation covering the entire industry. While the team can take over cases registered with local police stations, it will not have the authority to initiate new cases based on the evidence and assessments it collects. The investigation could stall if witnesses retract their complaints or statements.

The state government, initially indifferent to the spate of revelations about sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry, was pressured to set up the SIT. However, it conspicuously excluded the Justice Hema Committee report, an inquiry based on witness statements and evidence, from the SIT premises.

By omitting this report, which contains crucial details, the government has effectively curtailed the powers of the SIT and its ability to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the widespread problem of sexual exploitation in the film industry.