17 cases registered as Malayalam film industry rocked by sexual assault allegations
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Kochi: After victims filed complaints in the wake of the Justice Hema Committee report's release, seventeen incidents of sexual harassment and rape were reported, sending the Malayalam cinema industry into a frenzy of activity.
The Hema Committee report has exposed disturbing and upsetting information regarding institutionalised sexual assault and discrimination against women in the Malayalam film industry, the New Indian Express reported.
After the revelations, the Kerala LDF administration stated that they would not be prosecuted unless the victims came forward and filed complaints; nonetheless, legal experts assert that the state may file a case in these circumstances.
However, the government has established a separate team to look into these concerns in response to the Kerala High Court's intervention. Following this, a number of female actors came forward with charges, one of whom was a Bengali actress who had accused filmmaker Ranjith of sexual misconduct.
Sonia Malhar is the most recent to come forward; she lodged a complaint with the Director General of Police on Wednesday morning. The identity of the accused actor has not been made public. Notably, Sonia had earlier stated that she was hesitant to take legal action after airing the accusations in front of the public.
Following the accusation of sexual abuse by another actress, Minu Muneer, against well-known actor Jayasurya on Tuesday, the actor was also connected to Sonia's charges through a number of social media posts and media stories. Sonia warned the public and media not to do this and clarified that Jayasurya was not the target of her accusations.
Actors Mukesh, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, and Edavela Babu are among the seven people against whom Minu Muneer has filed a case. Minu Muneer gave a testimony to the Special Investigation Team on Wednesday morning at her home in Kochi.
On Wednesday, a complaint was filed against actor Siddique for rape. The actress's accusations against the actor compelled the actor to resign from his position as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).
17 complaints, including those from women who had not previously spoken out, were received by Tuesday night, according to police sources. In the next few days, more women may come forward.
The leader of the Special Investigation Team, Inspector General G Sparjan Kumar, announced that a separate team will investigate each complaint.
