Hema panel report: First arrest recorded, director released on bail

Kollam, Sep 19 (IANS) The first arrest was recorded on Thursday by the local police here after the explosive Hema Committee report which brought out the sexual harassment faced by women in the Malayalam film industry.

The police recorded the arrest of director V.K. Prakash.

The director was released on bail soon after, as he had secured anticipatory bail from the Kerala High Court early this month.

On August 29, the Kollam Pallithottam police filed a case against actor-director Prakash under Section 354 (a) (sexual harassment) based on a complaint from a young woman writer.

Soon after the writer filed her complaint, Prakash approached the Kerala High Court which granted him anticipatory bail.

Prakash is a double National Film Award winner and has to his credit successful films like ‘Trivandrum Lodge’ (2012), ‘Nirnayakam’ (2015) ‘Oruthee’ (2022) among others.

The Hema Committee report was released on August 19 with several paragraphs censored.

The Malayalam film industry has been seething after the Hema Committee report was published.

A few former actresses revealed their bad experiences and the police were quick to act.

By now the police have registered 11 FIRs against various film personalities after former actresses revealed to the media how they were exploited.

At present those who are in the dock include actor-turned-CPI(M) legislator Mukesh Madhavan, Nivin Pauly, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble.

Mukesh, Ranjith, Raju and a few others have already got relief from the courts from being arrested.

Incidentally this arrest and subsequent release on bail of Prakash comes as a time when the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the Hema Committee report has found that around 20 FIRs can be registered.

The SIT will meet the victims and if they stick to their complaints, then FIRs will be registered.

–IANS

sg/rad