Malayalam director Ranjith convicted of actor accused of sexual assault

The Karnataka Police has filed a case against Malayalam director Ranjith Balakrishnan for allegedly sexually assaulting the 31-year-old actor, PTI reported on Monday.

The first news report was recorded at Bengaluru airport on Saturday at the police station – the news agency quoted the statement of an unidentified police officer.

According to the FIR, the actor claimed that he met Balakrishnan in Kozhikode, Kerala in 2012 when he went to meet actor Mammootty during the shooting of a film Bavuttiyude Namathil– PTI reported. The film is written and produced by Balakrishnan.

Balakrishnan then invited the complainant to a hotel near Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport in December 2012, according to the report. The director gave him alcohol and allegedly sexually assaulted him, he added.

The complaint was initially filed at a police station in Kerala, PTI quoted the officer as saying. However, the case was transferred to Bengaluru as the alleged incident took place in a hotel in the city, he added.

The officer added, “The incident allegedly took place in 2012, but the complainant has now come forward following a series of allegations of sexual harassment by multiple artistes in the Malayalam film industry, which, according to him, has given him the courage to register the complaint.”

The actor is one of several people from Malayalam film industry who reported allegations of sexual misconduct by their colleagues after the verdict was published Justice Hema Commission report.

The officer told PTI that a case has been registered against Balakrishnan under sections of unnatural offenses and invasion of privacy. “The matter is being investigated,” he added.

in August Balakrishnan resigned as chairman of the state-run Kerala Chalachitra Academy days after the actor accused him of sexual harassment in 2009.

The actor accused the director of sexually harassing her during the filming Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha was produced.

At the time, the director claimed that the allegations were part of an organized attack against him.

“The damage that the allegation has done to me as an individual cannot be immediately repaired,” he said. “However, I would have to prove that the accusation is false. I will convince the public that it was a lie. She made contradictory statements. Whatever it is, I have decided to take legal action.”

Other Malayalam members film industry who were charged with sexual misconduct after the release of Hema’s report include: actor Siddiqueactor and Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA M. Mukeshactor Jayasurya and director VA Shrikumar Menon.