New DelhiThe well-known Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith was taken into judicial custody on Wednesday, April 1, following his arrest late the night before in relation to a case involving an attempted sexual assault. After appearing before a magistrate, he was placed under 14 days of remand.
Ranjith insisted that the accusations against him were false shortly after the remand. As he was being led into the sub-jail, he gave a brief statement to reporters, claiming that the charges were "false" and that he would be able to provide proof, according to PTI.
Ranjith maintains his innocence while police conduct a thorough investigation.
Kerala Culture Minister Saji Cherian made it apparent that the state supports the complainant even as Ranjith denied the accusations. He stated that the government and the police are on the victim's side and that "such acts will not be accepted by the government or the society."
The police claim that the female actor who made the complaint was "traumatized" and needed psychiatric help and counseling before she could come forward. After her statement was recorded, a Special Investigation Team was established, according to Kochi City Police Commissioner S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar, and the accusations were confirmed prior to the arrest.
"It should not happen to any woman, especially at the workplace," Kumar stated, adding that protecting the victim's privacy is still of utmost importance. Since the alleged incident occurred on a movie set, he continued, there were numerous witnesses, and the gathering of evidence is still ongoing. The officer added that the director had made an effort to leave the area.
Reaction from the industry and previous accusations made against Ranjith
Industry associations have also responded to the case. Ranjith's membership in the directors' and writers' unions should be suspended, according to the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFK). According to General Secretary B Unnikrishnan, no complaint regarding this issue had been submitted to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).
Ranjith was officially arrested on Tuesday night after being taken into custody from the Idukki district. The actor's complaint, which claimed that he had called her to a caravan during a film shoot and attempted to sexually assault her, was the basis for the case's registration a few days prior.
Similar accusations have previously been made against the director. Discussions surrounding the Justice K Hema Committee report, which looked at harassment and abuse in the Malayalam film industry, had brought up his name. A Bengali actress accused him of inappropriate behavior in 2024, claiming that he had touched her with sexual intent after inviting her to star in the 2009 movie Paleri Manikyam.
Before resigning in 2024 due to prior accusations, Ranjith had been the chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy since 2022. In response, Cherian stated that there were no such accusations at the time and that the appointment had been made on the basis of merit. "He positively advanced the academy. He had quit the job when these accusations first surfaced. The repeated accusations made against him are something we take seriously. He claimed that neither the government nor the police were defending him.
He also cited recent developments in the film industry, such as legislative initiatives and industry conversations, as reasons for the prompt action in this instance. "Let the investigation take its course," he continued, assuring others in the industry that the government would support them if they came forward with similar experiences.
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