Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan was arrested over alleged sexual assault charges after a complaint was filed by an actress. He has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days and returned to the Ernakulam Sub Jail in Keralam. As per the latest update from news agency ANI, Ranjith was produced before the First Class Magistrate Court in Kochi on Saturday following his arrest in connection with an alleged sexual assault complaint filed by an actress. The court remanded him to three days of police custody after the hearing.
About the ongoing case
The case pertains to allegations that the filmmaker sexually assaulted the complainant during a film shoot. Police had earlier registered a First Information Report (FIR) on March 28 based on the actress’s statement.
An actress who was working with him filed a complaint alleging that he attempted to sexually assault her on a film set. He was taken into custody from the Idukki district.
In her complaint, the actress alleged that Ranjith invited her to a caravan during the film’s shoot and attempted to assault her. Based on her statement, a case has been registered under multiple sections, including outraging the modesty of a woman, sexual assault, wrongful confinement and making obscene gestures.
The case was registered by Kochi City Police on Monday after the actress’ statement was recorded at the Women’s Police Station. The police stated that the proceedings of Ranjith’s arrest were carried out with ‘utmost secrecy’.
More details
Meanwhile, speaking earlier about the investigation process, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Aswathy Gigi said that the police acted after corroborating the complaint with additional evidence. She added that the SIT would continue its probe during the police custody period granted by the court.
“We got a complaint and registered an FIR on March 28. After that, we were reasonably convinced, after securing other evidence, that the accused had committed the crime. So, we went ahead with the arrest last night… A Special Investigation Team has been constituted,” Gigi told ANI.
Ranjith’s legal counsel has indicated that a bail plea is being prepared and will be moved before the court in due course.
The lawyer representing him, advocate Mohammed Siyad, received flak for being a member of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) for the film, on the sets of which the incident occurred. After a bail plea was filed and amid a row over his ICC membership, the advocate quit the case.
(via inputs from ANI)
