September 5th 2024.
In the city of Kochi, the Malayalam film industry has been rocked by numerous allegations against its stars. These allegations came to light when the Justice Hema Committee released a report detailing the deplorable working conditions and sexual exploitation faced by women in the industry. In response to these serious issues, the Kerala High Court has decided to establish a special bench to handle such cases.
During a hearing for a petition filed by producer Sajimon Parayil, acting Chief Justice A. Muhamad Mustaque announced the formation of this special bench, which will be headed by a female judge. The Justice K Hema Committee was formed in 2017 by the Kerala government after a petition was filed by the "Women in Cinema Collective" to address the challenges faced by women in the film industry. Although the report was submitted to the government in 2019, it was only earlier this year that the State Information Commission granted access to the report, with personal information redacted to protect the privacy of witnesses.
A division bench, which was hearing an appeal by film producer Parayil against a single-judge order upholding the Information Commission's decision, noted that the matter had become irrelevant. However, they also stated that it would be heard by the special bench once it was formed. It is expected that this special bench will receive a multitude of cases, including a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking criminal action against those accused of sexual offenses mentioned in the report.
In addition, the high court has ordered the state to submit an unredacted copy of the complete report in a sealed cover, as the published version has been censored even more than what was initially instructed. Another PIL seeking an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the allegations mentioned in the report may also be brought before the special bench. The special bench may also hear anticipatory bail applications filed by actor Siddique, director VK Prakash, and others who have been accused of rape or sexual harassment.
The Malayalam film industry has been facing turmoil since the release of the Hema Committee report, which was delayed for a long time before being published last month. The report exposed the widespread sexual exploitation of women in the film world. As a result, the Kerala Police have registered FIRs against 11 people, including nine from the film industry, based on complaints filed by actresses. Among those accused are actor-turned-CPI-M legislator Mukesh Madhavan, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble. Some of them, such as Mukesh, Renjith, and Raju, have already been granted bail by the court.
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