Malayalam director-producer Ranjith arrested on sexual assault charges
Prominent Malayalam director-producer Ranjith Balakrishnan has been arrested on sexual assault charges filed by a female actor. He was taken into custody, based on a complaint filed with the Kochi police.
Prominent Malayalam director-producer Ranjith has been arrested on charges of sexual assault. A young female actor had filed a complaint with Kochi police. He was taken into custody in Idukki and handed over to Kochi police.
The arrest was made by the Ernakulam Central Police with the assistance of local authorities in Thodupuzha, as reported by Mathrubhumi. According to police sources, Ranjith was intercepted while travelling through the town for a scheduled event, the portal mentioned. Following instructions from the Idukki Superintendent of Police, the operation was conducted with "utmost secrecy" to avoid public disruption.
The director was initially taken to the Thodupuzha police station for the necessary formalities. He was subsequently shifted to the Ernakulam Central Police to proceed with the investigation.
The case originated from an incident that allegedly occurred on the set of a film currently in production, as reported by Mathrubhumi. The female actor had accused Ranjith of inappropriate behaviour during a filming schedule, the report added.
Before escalating the matter to law enforcement, the victim filed a formal grievance with the film’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). Once the committee reviewed the grievance, they passed the case over to the Kerala Police for further action. Officials stated that the entire preliminary inquiry was conducted with strict privacy, ensuring the sensitive details of the complaint were kept confidential.
In 2024, Ranjith stepped down as Kerala Chalachitra Academy chairman amid harassment claims by Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra. He refuted the allegations after his resignation.
Reacting to the allegations against him, Ranjith had said, "A Bengali actor, Sreelekha Mitra, has raised very serious personal allegations against me. This has been happening for some time. To be precise, since the time I took over as the chairman of Kerala Chalachitra Academy, a group of people have been trying for a long time. This allegation [of Sreelekha] that came out before the public is a result of this."
In Kerala, there were widespread calls for Ranjith to resign as the film academy chairman, with prominent voices like filmmaker Dr Biju speaking out against him.
Prominent Malayalam director-producer Ranjith has been arrested on charges of sexual assault. A young female actor had filed a complaint with Kochi police. He was taken into custody in Idukki and handed over to Kochi police.
The arrest was made by the Ernakulam Central Police with the assistance of local authorities in Thodupuzha, as reported by Mathrubhumi. According to police sources, Ranjith was intercepted while travelling through the town for a scheduled event, the portal mentioned. Following instructions from the Idukki Superintendent of Police, the operation was conducted with "utmost secrecy" to avoid public disruption.
The director was initially taken to the Thodupuzha police station for the necessary formalities. He was subsequently shifted to the Ernakulam Central Police to proceed with the investigation.
The case originated from an incident that allegedly occurred on the set of a film currently in production, as reported by Mathrubhumi. The female actor had accused Ranjith of inappropriate behaviour during a filming schedule, the report added.
Before escalating the matter to law enforcement, the victim filed a formal grievance with the film’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). Once the committee reviewed the grievance, they passed the case over to the Kerala Police for further action. Officials stated that the entire preliminary inquiry was conducted with strict privacy, ensuring the sensitive details of the complaint were kept confidential.
In 2024, Ranjith stepped down as Kerala Chalachitra Academy chairman amid harassment claims by Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra. He refuted the allegations after his resignation.
Reacting to the allegations against him, Ranjith had said, "A Bengali actor, Sreelekha Mitra, has raised very serious personal allegations against me. This has been happening for some time. To be precise, since the time I took over as the chairman of Kerala Chalachitra Academy, a group of people have been trying for a long time. This allegation [of Sreelekha] that came out before the public is a result of this."
In Kerala, there were widespread calls for Ranjith to resign as the film academy chairman, with prominent voices like filmmaker Dr Biju speaking out against him.
