Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra She lodged a complaint with the Kochi City Police on Monday against film director Ranjith, a day after he resigned as chairman of the Kerala State Chalachithra Academy.
The complaint follows allegations of sexual misconduct that Mitra recently made public.
In an email sent to the Kochi City Police Commissioner, Mitra detailed an incident from 2009 when he was in Kochi to discuss a role in the film Palerimanikkam, which Ranjith was directing.
Mitra claimed that during the argument, Ranjith “grabbed” her hand and tried to touch other parts of her body with sexual intentions.
“I was invited to act in the film ‘Palerimanikkam’ directed by Ranjith“As part of the argument, I was called to the apartment where Sri Ranjith was staying at Kaloor Kadavanthra, Kochi. During the course of the argument, he grabbed my hand and then tried to extend his hand towards other parts of my body with sexual intent. On realising that his intentions were not the discussion about the film and that he had sexual intentions, I had to escape from the apartment and return to the hotel where I was staying. My bitter experience was shared the next day with a scriptwriter, Sri Joshy Joseph. As I was not given the travel ticket for my return journey, I was forced to seek the help of Sri Joshy Joseph,” the actress wrote in her complaint.
Mitra also added that she did not initially take legal action because she was from Kolkata and was not familiar with the local legal process, but has now come forward.
“As a person of Kolkata, West Bengal, I was unable to pursue this matter further to prosecute Sri Ranjith for the offence under Sections 354 and 354B of the Indian Penal Code at the time of commission of the offence.”
Mitra also requested the Kochi Police to treat her email as a formal complaint and take appropriate legal action against Ranjith.
“I have also received some comments from the public servants and the response shows that a written complaint is necessary for registering an offence. Since Sri Ranjith’s conduct amounts to commission of a cognizable offence, a written complaint is not a prerequisite as I have been told, following the judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court. In view of the public stand taken by the public servants of the State of Kerala that a written complaint is a prerequisite, I am submitting this complaint by e-mail addressed to you as the offence has been committed within your territorial limits at DD Flats, Kadavanthra, Kochi. This may be treated as a complaint and trigger the law as insisted by the State servants to initiate criminal action against an offender,” he added in his complaint.
Earlier this month, an edited version of the Justice Hema Committee report on harassment of women in the Malayalam film industry was made public. It contains shocking accounts of harassment, exploitation and mistreatment of female professionals.
The 235-page report, released after redacting the names of witnesses and accused, says the Malayalam film industry is controlled by 10 to 15 male producers, directors and actors who dominate and exercise control over the industry.
The report of the three-member panel headed by a former Kerala High Court judge and set up by the state government in 2017 was submitted to the Pinrayi-led Kerala government in December 2019 and was made public only this month.
The Kerala government said on Sunday it has decided to form a special investigation team, headed by a senior police officer, to probe allegations of sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry.
“In light of recent interviews and statements by several women in the Malayalam film industry detailing the hardships they have faced, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has convened a meeting with senior police officials here on Sunday,” an official statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said.
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