A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kerala Police on Wednesday arrested Malayalam actor Edavela Babu on rape charges. However, he would be released soon since he had taken an anticipatory bail from a district court in Ernakulam earlier.
Babu was booked by the Ernakulam Town North police for rape charges based on a complaint filed by a woman actor.
Edavela Babu had served as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) for several years until he resigned in June.
Babu’s arrest comes a day after Kollam MLA M Mukesh was arrested and released on bail. In both cases, the complainant was the same, Indian Express reported.
The complainant claimed that she had contacted Babu and Mukesh to get a membership in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) in 2010. The incident occurred at Babu’s Kaloor residence, where she had visited to fill out a form for AMMA membership.
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This arrest also comes amid uproar in the Malayalam film industry over allegations of sexual assault and harassment against prominent actors and filmmakers, including Jayasurya, Siddique, Mukesh, Maniyanpilla Raju, and director Ranjith. These allegations surfaced following the public release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which highlights the exploitation and harassment faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. The 235-page report reveals that the industry is controlled by 10-15 male producers, directors, and actors.
The uproar has also led to the dissolution of the top panel of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The panel, led by Mohanlal as president, said it is taking moral responsibility “in light of allegations made by some actors against some of the committee”.
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A Special Investigation Team is now probing the allegations.