On Tuesday, Malayalam film director Ranjith sought anticipatory bail from the Kerala High Court in connection with a sexual assault case. This move follows Ranjith's resignation last month as chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, amid mounting pressure after a Bengali actress accused him of "misbehaving" with her in 2009. The allegations came to light after the publication of the Justice Hema committee report, which addresses the widespread sexual exploitation of women in the Malayalam film industry.
The case against Ranjith was registered at the Ernakulam Town Police Station based on an email complaint from the actress. In his bail plea, Ranjith rejected the accusations, claiming they are a result of a conspiracy by some members of the Academy to oust him. He argued that he is being falsely implicated after 15 years.The Hema Committee's report highlighted various issues faced by women in the film industry, including sexual harassment, gender discrimination, inadequate safety, poor basic facilities, and wage disparities.
Currently, FIRs have been filed against nine film industry figures, including Mukesh, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyan Pillai Raju, and directors Ranjith and V. K. Prakash, among others, following complaints from actresses. Mukesh has received interim relief from arrest until Wednesday while his petition is under consideration by a lower court. The Vijayan government has formed a seven-member police investigation team, consisting of four women IPS officers, to gather statements from the victims. So far, none of the accused have been summoned to appear before the investigative team.