Ranjith Sexual Assault Case: Malayalam Filmmaker Files Anticipatory Bail in Kerala High Court

Malayalam film director Ranjith on Tuesday approached the Kerala High Court seeking interim bail in connection with a sexual abuse case. Ranjith had last month resigned as the chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy following pressure from various quarters after the Bengali actress revealed that she was called to a flat in Kochi in 2009 where Ranjith “misbehaved” with her. Man Alleges Ranjith Abused Him; Claims Director Sent Nude Photos of Him to Actress Revathy (Watch Video)

Trouble started for Ranjith a few days after the release of the Justice Hema Commission report, which dealt with issues of rampant sexual exploitation faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. The case against him was registered with the Ernakulam Town police station based on an e-mail complaint by the actress. However, Ranjith, in his bail plea, rejected all the allegations against him and said that he became “suspicious” after 15 years. He alleged that a section of people in the Academy were conspiring against him to remove him from his post.

The Hema committee report revealed that women in the film industry face a myriad of problems, including sexual demands, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, lack of safety at work, inadequate basic amenities and wage disparity. So far, FIRs have been registered against nine film personalities, including Mukesh, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyan Pillai Raju, directors Ranjith, VK Prakash, production heads Vichu and Noble after female actresses filed complaints. Of those who have been termed as “exploiters” by victims, Mukesh has been granted interim relief from arrest till Wednesday, while his petition will be heard in a lower court here on Tuesday. Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra withdraws from seminar in Kochi after filing sexual harassment complaint against director Ranjith (View post).

The Vijay government has appointed a seven-member police investigation team, including four women IPS officers, to record statements of the victims. So far, none of the “exploiters” have been summoned to appear before the investigation team. The BJP and Congress have alleged that the Vijay government is hand-in-glove with the wrongdoers even as they claim to be with the victims.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 03, 2024 02:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).