A local court on Thursday provided relief to actor-politician K Mukesh, who is accused of rape, instructing the police not to arrest him until September 3. Mukesh, a CPI(M) legislator from Kollam, sought anticipatory bail earlier in the day after the Kerala police registered a rape case against him on August 28, following allegations by a female actor that he sexually assaulted her years ago.
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In granting interim relief to Mukesh, the Principal Sessions Court noted that the likelihood of the actor fleeing from the law is minimal. "Taking note of the situation that there may not be chances to flee away from the clutches of law, the IO (Investigating Officer) is directed that the petitioner shall not be arrested till 3/9/24," the court said in its order.
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The alleged incident occurred in 2010. An FIR under IPC Section 376 (rape) was filed against Mukesh at the Maradu police station in Kochi on Wednesday night. In his anticipatory bail plea, the actor asserted that the victim's statement against him was made with malicious intent.
Prominent figures in Malayalam cinema, including Mukesh, Jayasurya, and Siddique, have been booked by the police for the rape and sexual assault of a female colleague. The allegations surfaced after the findings of the Justice K Hema Committee, which exposed instances of abuse and exploitation of women professionals in the Malayalam film industry, were made public.