Kochi, Sep 5 (IANS) As allegations against Malayalam film stars pile up since the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which revealed the appalling work conditions of women in the Malayalam film industry and their sexual exploitation, the Kerala High Court on Thursday decided to form a special bench to hear such cases.
This was announced by the acting Chief Justice A. Muhamad Mustaque while hearing a petition filed by producer Sajimon Parayil, and he added that the special bench will be headed by a woman judge.
The Justice K Hema Committee was set up by the Kerala government in 2017 following a petition by the ‘Women in Cinema Collective’ to study the issues faced by women in the film industry. While the report was submitted to the state government in 2019, it was only earlier this year that the State Information Commission allowed a request by certain parties, mostly journalists, for access to the report after redaction of personal information to protect the privacy of witnesses.
A division bench, hearing the appeal moved by film producer Parayil against a single-judge order upholding this decision of the Information Commission, orally observed that the matter has become infructuous but said that it would be posted before the special bench.
The special bench, when it comes into being, can expect a plethora of petitions which includes a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking criminal action against those accused of sexual offences in the report.
The high court has, in that case, ordered the state to submit a single copy of the complete report, without any redactions, in a sealed cover as the published one has been censored more than what it was told to do.
Yet another PIL seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the allegations in the report will likely be posted before the new Bench.
The anticipatory bail applications filed by actor Siddique, director V.K. Prakash, and others in the rape or sexual harassment cases filed against them may also be heard by the Special Bench.
Trouble has been brewing in the Malayalam film industry ever since the release of the Hema Committee report after a long delay last month, revealing rampant sexual exploitation of women in the film world. Kerala Police have so far registered FIRs against 11 people, including nine from the film industry, based on complaints lodged by actresses. Those who are in the dock include actor-turned-CPI-M legislator Mukesh Madhavan, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble. By now, those who have received relief from the court bail include Mukesh, Renjith, and Raju.
–IANS
sg/vd
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
