The Kerala police’s Special Investigation Team has cleared Malayalam actor Nivin Pauly of all charges in a sexual assault case filed by an actress. A report submitted by DYSP Kothamangalam to the First Class Magistrate Court confirmed Pauly’s absence from the alleged location at the time of the incident, ruling out his involvement.
The allegations against Pauly surfaced amid a wave of #MeToo claims in Kerala's film industry. The actress alleged that Pauly, along with others, assaulted her in an overseas hotel in late 2023, reportedly promising her a film role in return. Pauly quickly refuted these claims, calling them "entirely untrue" in a social media post on September 3. He stated his commitment to proving the allegations baseless and vowed to pursue legal action against those responsible for the claims.
Malayalam publication Mathrubhumi reported that the case—filed in Ernakulam—originally placed Pauly and several others under a non-bailable charge. The accusations included claims that Pauly drugged and assaulted the complainant. However, Pauly’s legal team and supporters, including actor-director Vineeth Sreenivasan, provided evidence showing Pauly was filming scenes in Kochi on December 14, 15, and 16, 2023. Sreenivasan cited hotel bookings and other records as proof of Pauly’s presence in Kochi on those dates.
Adding to the complexity of the case, Pauly revealed in a press conference that the same woman had previously leveled similar accusations against him 45 days earlier, which were dismissed as baseless by authorities, who had even cautioned against filing false claims. "I have never met or spoken to this woman," Pauly asserted, expressing frustration over the harm caused to his reputation and personal life by media reports based on unverified allegations. He voiced concern over what he perceived as misuse of legal protections for personal vendettas.