Popular Director Arrested Over Sexual Assault

In a shocking development, experienced Malayalam director and producer Ranjith Balakrishnan, who faced multiple allegations of inappropriate behavior highlighted in the explosive Hema Committee Report, has now been arrested by the Ernakulam Central Police on charges of sexual assault against an actress.

According to reports, a young actress filed a complaint with the Kochi police regarding his conduct during the filming of a movie.

 Following an initial investigation, he was taken into custody in Idukki and subsequently handed over to Kochi police. Ranjith was arrested while traveling through the town for a scheduled event.

The actress alleged that Ranjith called her to his caravan during the filming of a movie and behaved in a sexually suggestive manner.

 She immediately left the set and reported the incident to the film's Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).

Following preliminary inquiries, the ICC filed a complaint with the Kerala Police for further action.

 The police recorded her statements and initiated legal proceedings against the director.

Ranjith had previously faced allegations of sexual harassment, with his name appearing in the controversial Justice Hema Committee Report, which highlighted serious concerns about the treatment of female stars in the Malayalam film industry.

In 2024, a Bengali actress filed a complaint against him, and later a 31-year-old man in Bengaluru also lodged a sexual assault complaint against Ranjith.

 Although he denied these allegations, Ranjith resigned as chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy. He was later cleared in one of the cases.