Renowned Malayalam film director and screenwriter Ranjith has sought anticipatory bail following an FIR filed against him based on a complaint from Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra, alleging “inappropriate behavior.” The Kochi Police Commissioner received the complaint via email late Monday night, leading to the swift registration of the FIR.
Ranjith, who recently resigned as Chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, has faced mounting pressure since the release of the Hema Committee report, which exposed widespread sexual abuse within the Malayalam film industry. His resignation on Sunday followed intense scrutiny from the Opposition and extensive media coverage.
Following his resignation, Ranjith became unreachable, and the situation escalated on Monday evening when news broke of Mitra’s complaint. With the Pinarayi Vijayan government under significant pressure, a special police team, including four female IPS officers, has been assembled to investigate the Hema Committee’s findings. The Assistant Inspector General of Police, G. Poonkuzhali, has been tasked with handling Mitra’s complaint specifically.
Mitra’s complaint details an incident in 2009 when she met Ranjith at a Kochi apartment regarding his film Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha. She claims the encounter made her feel “uncomfortable,” alleging that Ranjith touched her with “sexual intent.” She also mentioned informing scriptwriter Joshy Joseph about the incident.
What has drawn significant attention is that Mitra had previously stated she did not intend to file a formal complaint, expressing that she expected only an apology. “I do not want to go down there and submit a complaint because I have worked here. The least I expect is an apology,” Mitra had remarked earlier. Despite this, she has now officially lodged her complaint, bringing the issue to the forefront.
