CPM defends state government over delay in release of Hema committee report

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM state secretary MV Govindan on Friday defended the state government over the allegation that it did nothing for four years after the Justice Hema Committee submitted its report on sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry. He said the government has nothing to hide. Explaining the action taken by the police against people from the film industry based on complaints filed by women, he reiterated that there is no point in claiming that the government has kept the report secret.

“It was retired judge Hema who had asked the information officer of the cultural affairs department not to make public the details of the written statements of women. The government has no role in that,” he said.

The government has not edited or added anything to the published report, he said. “If someone has a complaint, it can be verified. The police cannot register cases without someone filing a complaint. But the police have acted on the complaints filed by individuals. A prominent actor was jailed in the case of the actress who was sexually assaulted. Separately, cases were registered against two directors for sexual harassment. Another case was registered against an actor in a Pocso case,” he pointed out.

Listing other cases of police action, Govindan said that a case was registered against an actor for sexually assaulting an actress after making a false offer and another case against an actor for attempted sexual persuasion. “A case was also registered against a director under the IT Act and one against an advertising director on a plea filed by a prominent actress. Another director was booked for persistently calling an actress,” he said.

Govindan also rejected the Governor’s charge that allegations are being made against a minister.

‘nothing to hide’

• CPM State Secretary MV Govidan said that Justice Hema had asked the Information Officer not to release details of statements made by women in writing

• The government has not edited or added anything to the published report

• The governor’s accusation that an accusation was made against a minister has been dismissed