The Ernakulam North police in Kerala have lodged a non-bailable case under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code against filmmaker Ranjith on the basis of a complaint lodged by a woman actor.
A first information report was registered after she sent an e-mail complaint dated August 26 to the District Police Chief (Kochi City) against the filmmaker, who resigned from the post of chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy on Sunday following allegations of inappropriate behaviour against him.
The follow-up action will be initiated after consulting the special investigation team (SIT) formed by the government to probe the allegations of sexual abuse of women in the Malayalam film industry as revealed in the Hema Committee report.
In her complaint, the actor urged the police to initiate action against him for the “molestation of womanhood with criminal intent in the year 2009” while she was called for acting in the movie Paleri Manikyam Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Katha directed by him.
The survivor’s complaint stated that she was called to the apartment at Kadavantra here in which he was staying. He allegedly held her hand and later attempted to spread his hand to other parts of her body with sexual intention, she alleged.
She said she had to escape from the apartment and left for the hotel where she was staying after realising that his intentions were not related to the film. She reportedly shared her bitter experience with scriptwriter Joshy Joseph the next day itself.
The woman actor submitted that she was unable to pursue the issue any further to prosecute him for the offence attracting Sections 354 & 354 B of the Indian Penal Code at the time of commission of crime as she was hailing from outside Kerala.
She said she was filing a complaint in view of the position taken by the public functionaries in Kerala that a written complaint was a prerequisite. The complaint had been lodged before the District Police Chief (Kochi City) as the offence was committed at an apartment in Kadavantra.
Published - August 26, 2024 08:09 pm IST
