No case can be filed against Siddique and Ranjith based on a complaint filed by a third party, says Kochi police

Ajikumar, a resident of Vyttila, has filed a complaint with District Police Commissioner (Kochi) Shyam Sunder, seeking a case against actor Siddique, former General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), and filmmaker Ranjith, former president of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, in connection with the recent allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against them by two female actors.

Both had said that they were not keen on taking legal action in the matter. While Siddique was accused of sexual assault, Ranjith was alleged to have behaved inappropriately towards the actor. The allegations came after the publication of the Hema Commission report, which documented sexual exploitation, workplace harassment and gender pay gaps in the Malayalam film industry.

Talking about the legal implications of the complaint, police sources said that an FIR can be registered only if a statement is given to the police or a complaint is filed by the actors. In this case, a third party has filed a complaint, based on which no case can be registered.

When asked if there was any request in Ajikumar’s complaint to file a case against Siddique under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, they said there was no specific request in his complaint.