Kerala HC quashes 2009 molestation case against filmmaker Ranjith
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Ernakulam: The Kerala High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against acclaimed Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith in connection with a 2009 case alleging that he attempted to outrage the modesty of an actress during a meeting at his residence.
The case, based on an FIR registered in August 2024, accused Ranjith of allegedly holding the actress’s hand and attempting to touch her inappropriately under the pretext of a film discussion at his apartment. He had been charged under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to outrage a woman’s modesty) and 509 (gesture or act intended to insult a woman’s modesty) of the Indian Penal Code.
Justice C. Pratheep Kumar allowed Ranjith’s plea to quash the proceedings pending before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Ernakulam, ruling that the case was barred by limitation. The court noted that, as per the law prevailing in 2009, the maximum punishment for the alleged offences was two years, and under Section 468 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the limitation period for taking cognisance was three years.
“The learned Magistrate was not justified in taking cognisance of the offence after a period of more than 15 years. In these circumstances, the proceedings against the petitioner are liable to be quashed by invoking the power under Section 528 of the BNSS,” the court observed.
The High Court also referred to the precedent set in Johnson Alexander v. State by CBI (Crl. A. No. 1478/2010) in arriving at its conclusion.
Earlier, the court had closed Ranjith’s anticipatory bail petition, observing that the alleged offence was bailable at the time of the incident.
With this order, all pending proceedings against the veteran director in connection with the 2009 allegation stand terminated.
Ranjith, a celebrated filmmaker, producer, and screenwriter, had stepped down as Chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy soon after the allegations surfaced and has since maintained a low profile.
With IANS inputs