Kerala sexual abuse scandal: NCW demands full text of Hema committee report

The Malayalam film industry is rocked by a sexual abuse scandal that has taken a new twist. On August 30, the National Commission for Women requested the Kerala Chief Secretary to furnish the full text of the Hema Committee Report within a week. This request follows a memorandum submitted by BJP Kerala spokesperson Sandeep Vachaspati and Kerala State Committee member PR Sivasankar. They delivered the memorandum directly to the offices of the National Commission for Women in Delhi. Commission member secretary Meenakshi Negi and member Deleena Khongdup received the memorandum from the BJP leaders.

The memorandum asked the Commission to seek the full text of the Hema Commission report and set up a special inquiry team to study the problems faced by women in the unorganised sector, including the film industry. Sandeep Vachaspati told the media that the Commission had assured them of immediate action.

Recently, the Kerala High Court reportedly directed the state government to submit the full text of a report in a sealed envelope. However, the government did not submit the full text; instead, some portions were deleted before the report was submitted on August 19. The government justified this by arguing that it would infringe on the privacy of some individuals named in the report and that it was in line with the guidelines of the State Information Commission. However, allegations arose that the government had omitted information not sought by the State Information Commission, apparently to protect certain individuals.

Reports suggest that 10 cases have been registered in various police stations in the state following allegations of sexual abuse by some women from the Malayalam film industry after the government released the Hema Committee report. The allegations were against their male colleagues.

Now that the National Commission for Women has sought the full version of the Hema committee report, the accused are likely to face significant challenges. More cases are expected against other prominent figures in the film industry. Consequently, observers are praising Kerala BJP leaders Sandeep Vachaspati and PR Sivasankar for their strategic move.

Later, Sandeep Vachaspati welcomed the committee’s actions. He said that the Kerala government was trying to hoard the findings of the Hema committee. He said that the government’s actions so far are not in accordance with the findings of the Hema committee. The committee reports have pointed out POCSO and the influence of the international drug mafia in the film industry. All these anomalies should be brought before the people. But the CPM-led Pinarayi Vijayan government is hoarding them.

Agitations led by the BJP, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and Bharatiya Mahila Morcha continued to shake the state. On August 29, members of Yuva Morcha staged protests outside the Chief Minister’s residence, demanding strict action against the accused and Mukesh’s resignation as MLA.

Meanwhile, CPI leader Annie Raja said the Commission’s action was an attempt to discredit the Kerala government. Raja’s statement contradicted her earlier demand of August 28 for the resignation of film star Mukesh, a CPM MLA, in the light of serious allegations levelled against him by his female colleagues.