Malayalam director-producer Ranjith arrested on sexual harassment charges
Leading Malayalam director-producer Ranjith Balakrishnan has been arrested on sexual harassment charges filed by a female actor. He was taken into custody on the basis of the complaint lodged with Kochi Police.
Prominent Malayalam director-producer Ranjith has been arrested on sexual harassment charges. a young female actor had
Complaint lodged with Kochi Police. He was detained in Idukki and handed over to Kochi Police.
According to reports, the arrest was made by Ernakulam Central Police with the assistance of local authorities in Thodupuzha. Homeland. The portal mentioned that according to police sources, Ranjeet was stopped while traveling in the city for a scheduled event. Following instructions from the Idukki Superintendent of Police, the operation was conducted with “utmost secrecy” to avoid public disruption.
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The director was initially taken to Thodupuzha police station for necessary formalities. He was later transferred to Ernakulam Central Police to further the investigation.
The case arises from an incident that allegedly took place on the sets of a film currently under production, as reported Homeland. The report states that the female actor had accused Ranjith of inappropriate behavior during a filming schedule.
Before taking the matter to law enforcement, the victim filed a formal complaint with the film’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). Once the committee reviewed the complaint, they handed over the case to the Kerala Police for further action. Officials said the entire preliminary investigation was conducted in strict confidentiality, ensuring that sensitive details of the complaint were kept confidential.
In 2024, Ranjith resigned as president of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy amid harassment claims by Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra. After his resignation, he denied the allegations.
Responding to the allegations against him, Ranjith had said, “A Bengali actor, Sreelekha Mitra, has made very serious personal allegations against me. This has been happening for some time. To be precise, a group of people have been trying for a long time, ever since I took over as the President of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy. This allegation (of Sreelekha) that has come to the public is the result of that.”
In Kerala, there were widespread demands for Ranjith to resign from the post of Film Academy president, with prominent voices such as filmmaker Dr. Biju speaking out against him.