The Kerala government on Sunday formed a team of senior police officers to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against prominent figures in the Malayalam film industry. These allegations have surfaced following the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which details various issues faced by women in the field.
“Crime Branch ADGP H Venkatesh will oversee the functioning of the team,” the CMO said in a statement.
Rocked by the explosive findings of harassment and abuse of women professionals, the Malayalam film industry on Sunday witnessed two high-profile resignations related to the issues. In the wake of these findings, actor Siddique resigned as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) and director Ranjith stepped down as the chairperson of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy.
The Chief Minister’s Office announced that CM Pinarayi Vijayan convened a high-level meeting with police officers to address the situation. A seven-member team, led by Inspector General (IG) Sparjan Kumar, was formed to investigate the complaints. The team will be overseen by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H Venkatesh and includes four women IPS officers.
The Hema Committee report, which had been with the state government for the last four-and-a-half years, was released last week after multiple legal challenges. The report highlights serious issues faced by women in the film industry, including sexual harassment, lack of basic facilities such as women’s toilets, gender bias, discrimination, pay disparity, and the absence of a legally constituted authority to address these problems.
(With inputs from PTI)