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Film Director Ranjith surrenders before Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail
Kerala High Court is hearing a criminal defamation case that has been filed by a Bengali actress against Malayalam film director Ranjith Balakrishnan for anticipatory bail in a sexual harassment complaint.
The allegations against the director were made after their consortium published the Justice Hema Committee report on August 19, 2024.
The location showed the survivors were exploited sexually and misused through what is locally known as the ‘casting couch’ particularly the Malayalam movie industry.
The actress has accused Ranjith of trying to molest her in the year 2009 while discussing on the film named “Palerimanikyam”.
In her complaint she alleges that Ranjith assaulted her and forced her to have sexual intercourse with him when they were at his flat in Ernakulam. She said she struggled to get out of the situation and then described it to one of the scriptwriters.
The actress Erandi had claimed that she was not in a position to take legal action against Ranjith as she was left alone and there were many problems which that prevented her from doing so. However, after reading the Justice Hema Committee Report which has been made available to the public, she felt free to report her ordeal to the media.
Due to media exaggeration and public grievance, the actress filed a complaint through e-mail to the Kochi City Police Commissioner and an FIR was filed on the basis of which the actress claimed that she committed an offence under 354 of IPC to outrage her modesty.
After that happened, Ranjith even quit from the chairmanship of the Kerala Chalachithra Academy.
But, he has remained in the media asserting his innocence saying that the charges leveled against him are frivolous and that it is a conspiracy to have him arrested.
Indeed in his application for anticipatory bail in the High Court the factual foundation of which has been outlined above, he pointed out that at the time the alleged crime happened, the offence punishable under Section 354 IPC was a bailable offence which means the director would have been legally entitled to be released on bail.
Ranjith has also argued that the complainant-actress bears grudge against him as she was not cast to act in the movie and that this complaint was inspired by others who wanted him out of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy chairmanship.
According to the plea, several other persons were present in the apartment when Ranjith was discussing about the movie with the actress but that those aspects have not been provided in the complaint.
Ranjith has also said that he has serious medical complications and that his custodial investigation would not be necessary in the case.
For these reasons he has applied for anticipatory bail while stating that he will fully cooperate in the investigation and abide by any bail condition that the courts feels like imposing on him.
Ranjith is assisted by Senior Advocate G P Vijayaraj Bhanu and advocates Sruthy N Bhat, PM Rafique , M Revikrishanan, Ajeesh K Sasi , Rahul Sunil, Sruthy K K, Sohail Ahammed Harris and Nanditha S.
After coming in forefront in the Justice Hema Committee Report, actors Siddique, Mukesh, Manianpilla Raju and Edavela Babu, director VK Prakash are also accused in the same way.
They claimed that all the four accused Siddique, Mukesh, Raju and prakash have obtained anticipatory bail in the cases filed against them.
A plea to apply for proceeding against the alleged culprits who may have been mentioned in the report has also been filed in high court of Kerala. The Court in that case held that an unredacted copy of the Hema Committee Report ought to be made and deposited before it in a sealed envelope so that where any of the findings would warrant a criminal investigation, the same be determined.
There is however another petition that has been filed before the High Court calling for CBI inquiry into the allegations as contained in the report.
