Kerala film director Ranjith charged with sexual assault | Latest news India

An assault case has been registered against filmmaker Ranjith, originally filed by the Kerala Hema Commission, in Bengaluru, based on a complaint by a 31-year-old man, who said the incident took place during a film shoot in 2012, it said.

Inspector Mallikarjun of Kempegowda International Airport police station quoted the complaint stating that while filming “Bavuttiyude Namathil” in Bengaluru, Ranjith had sexually assaulted the complainant on the pretext of providing him opportunities in the film industry. Ranjith met the victim during the shooting of the Mammootty film and promised him a role.

The complaint further stated that Ranjith had built a rapport with the man by discussing the prospects of the film industry before inviting him for a meeting at the Taj Hotel near the airport. The attack is said to have taken place during this meeting. The complainant later disclosed the incident to the Hema Commission in Kerala, which was set up to investigate allegations of harassment and misconduct in the entertainment sector. Based on the complainant’s story, a first case was registered at Kasaba police station in Kerala.

The Kempegowda International Airport Police Station has taken jurisdiction over the case and initiated an investigation.

After investigation, the case was transferred to Bengaluru where the alleged incident took place. Mallikarjun said the case has been registered under Section 377 of the IPC, dealing with “unnatural offences”, and Section 66 of the IT Act, which deals with crimes involving technology misuse. “We registered the case against filmmaker Ranjith on Saturday and have initiated investigation to verify the details,” he added.

The Hema Committee report on the working conditions of women film professionals in Kerala, released on August 19, said that women artistes and actors were routinely asked for sexual favors in exchange for opportunities, had to compromise, by violence from their male colleagues and threatened with a ban if they tried to file a lawsuit. The committee report – originally 295 pages long – was shortened by 66 pages to redact the names and information of those who testified and others against whom allegations were made.

After the report was released, several female actors, including a Bengali actress, made public allegations of sexual harassment against some well-known faces of Malayalam cinema, including director Ranjith and actors Siddique and Mukesh.