Young Man Accuses Director Ranjith Of Sex Assault
A young man from Kozhikode has filed a sexual assault complaint against renowned Malayalam director Ranjith, accusing him of molestation during an incident in Bengaluru in 2012. The young man, who was seeking a role in the film industry at the time, lodged the complaint with the Special Investigation Team, which was set up following the revelations of the Hema Committee report on sexual misconduct within the Malayalam film industry.
According to reports in Malayalam media, the complainant first met Ranjith on the set of the movie *Bavuttiyude Naamathil* in Kozhikode. He was introduced to the director by the production controller, who encouraged him to meet Ranjith. After a brief introduction, Ranjith reportedly handed him a tissue paper with his phone number written on it and instructed him to contact him via text.
Two days later, as per the director’s instructions, the young man travelled to the Taj Hotel in Bengaluru, where Ranjith was staying. Upon arriving at the hotel, he claims to have found the director in an intoxicated state. The young man alleges that Ranjith offered him alcohol before making an inappropriate request to see him undressed. He has stated that the details of what happened next are difficult to describe, but everything has been outlined in the complaint.
The complaint follows similar allegations made by Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra, which led to Ranjith resigning from his position as chairman of the Kerala Film Academy. The young man explained that he was inspired to come forward after hearing other accounts of misconduct within the industry.
The complaint was submitted to the investigation team via e-mail and is now being reviewed as part of a broader investigation into sexual misconduct in the Malayalam film industry.
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The Hema Committee was established in 2017 to investigate the challenges faced by women in the Malayalam cinema industry, especially in the wake of a sexual assault case involving actor Dileep. The committee was chaired by retired High Court judge Justice Hema, along with veteran actor Sharada and former IAS officer KB Valsala Kumari.
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Their report, which was submitted in 2019, brought to light the pervasive sexual harassment experienced by women in the industry. It particularly highlighted incidents where female actors faced unwanted advances before even beginning work. The report was made public last week.
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