SIT to meet 50 people who testified before Hema Committee

Kochi: The Hema Committee report exposed the deplorable state of women in the Malayalam film industry, and the special investigation team (SIT), overseen by the special bench of the Kerala High Court, has been given complete authority to investigate the matter.

The SIT will begin interviewing 50 people in the coming days. Split into four teams, the SIT is made up of four female IAS officers. The teams will meet with the 50 people who testified before the Hema Committee—the testimony from which the report was compiled and presented to the Pinarayi Vijayan government in 2019.

The SIT has planned to complete this exercise in 10 days.

On Thursday, the SIT was handed over the uncensored version of the Hema Committee report by the special bench of the court.

The Vijayan government came under flak from both the Congress and the BJP.

The special bench met for the first time on Tuesday and came down heavily on the Vijayan government pointing out the inaction of the state government, including not registering FIRs even though the Kerala Police got the report in 2020.

The SIT has 11 FIRs which were filed against various film personalities after former actresses revealed to the media how they were exploited.

The Court has also asked the SIT that it could take necessary action on the offences revealed in the report. And if the victim or survivor is not interested in prosecuting the case, they can drop it. But at least some action should be taken, the court said.

Presently those who are in the dock include actor-turned-CPI(M) legislator Mukesh Madhavan, Nivin Pauly, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble.

Mukesh, Ranjith, and Raju have secured relief from the court.

With inputs from IANS