Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith, actor Siddique quit key bodies amid sexual assault allegations
The Kerala government on Sunday said that a special investigation team (SIT) will investigate the allegations of sexual assault raised by women working in the Malayalam film industry.
The Kerala government on Sunday said that a special investigation team (SIT) will investigate the allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour raised by the women working in the Malayalam film industry, hours after a Malayalam actress accused Siddique, a prominent actor and the general secretary Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), of assaulting her sexually and mentally.
The state government’s decision also follows the allegations levelled by a Bengali film actor against filmmaker and chairperson of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, Ranjith, of sexual misconduct.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a meeting with top police officers in the state on Sunday. A statement from the chief minister’s office said that a team headed by inspector general G Sparjan Kumar will investigate the complaints. The seven-member SIT will comprise four women officers and will be monitored by the additional director general of police (crime branch) H Venkatesh.
Both Siddique and Ranjith have resigned from their posts since the allegations surfaced on Saturday and Sunday. While the Malayalam actress accused Siddique of raping her in a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016, the Bengali actress accused Ranjith of misbehavior during the shooting of his film in 2009.
Siddique, who is currently in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, on a shoot, told reporters he did not wish to comment on the allegations. “I have conveyed my resignation to the president of AMMA, Mohanlal. I have taken the decision in the light of the allegations raised against me. I would not like to talk about the allegations right now,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Siddique, who is currently in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, on a shoot, told reporters he did not wish to comment on the allegations. “I have conveyed my resignation to the president of AMMA, Mohanlal. I have taken the decision in the light of the allegations raised against me. I would not like to talk about the allegations right now,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The actress called Siddique a “criminal”, adding that he has made sexual advances towards other women too. “I was a young entrant in the industry at the time. He invited me to a hotel on the pretext of discussing a film. Such a movie did not exist and it was a trap. He sexually abused and raped me. He also physically assaulted me. I had to give up my dreams and I went through mental trauma,” she said, adding that she had evidence to support her claims.
{{/usCountry}}The actress called Siddique a “criminal”, adding that he has made sexual advances towards other women too. “I was a young entrant in the industry at the time. He invited me to a hotel on the pretext of discussing a film. Such a movie did not exist and it was a trap. He sexually abused and raped me. He also physically assaulted me. I had to give up my dreams and I went through mental trauma,” she said, adding that she had evidence to support her claims.
{{/usCountry}}The decision to conduct a detailed police investigation also came in the backdrop of the release of the Justice Hema Committee report on August 19 which pointed to rampant sexual abuse and harassment faced by the women artistes and technicians in the industry. The three-member committee, headed by retired high court justice K Hema, also confirmed incidents of sexual favours being demanded from aspiring artistes in exchange for being cast in films. The state Opposition had also been coming down on the Vijayan-led government heavily for its silence over the issue.
Siddique’s resignation from the key AMMA post, to which he was elected earlier this year, came just two days after he denied the existence of a “power group” in the industry or that the group demanded sexual favours from women in exchange for roles.
Ranjith, whose films have won both state and national film awards, said he was “innocent”, adding he would take legal measures to defend himself. He said the allegations against him were part of an “orchestrated attack by certain Right-wing people and the media against the LDF government.”
“I will never do anything to tarnish the image of this government. However, it is not right for me to continue in a government institution when this issue is ongoing. That is why I have resigned,” he said.
