A sexual assault case has been registered against filmmaker Ranjith, originally filed by the Hema committee in Kerala.
A sexual assault case has been registered against filmmaker Ranjith, originally filed by the Hema committee in Kerala, in Bengaluru on the basis of a complaint by a 31-year-oldman, who said the incident took place during a film shoot in 2012, police said.
Kempegowda International Airport police station inspector Mallikarjun quoted the complaint as stating that during the filming of “Bavuttiyude Namathil” in Bengaluru Ranjith had sexually assaulted the complainant under the guise of offering him opportunities in the film industry. Ranjith met the victim during the shoot of the Mammootty-starrer film, allegedly promising him a role, it stated.
The complaint further stated that Ranjith had built rapport with the man by discussing film industry prospects before inviting him to meet at the Taj Hotel near the airport. The assault reportedly took place during this meeting. The complainant later disclosed the incident to Kerala’s Hema committee, which was set up to investigate harassment and misconduct allegations within the entertainment sector. Based on the complainant’s account, an initial case was registered at the Kasaba police station in Kerala.
The Kempegowda International Airport police station has taken jurisdiction over the case and initiated an inquiry.
Following a review, the case was transferred to Bengaluru, where the alleged incident took place. Mallikarjun said that the case has been registered under Section 377 of the IPC, concerning “unnatural offences,” and Section 66 of the IT Act, addressing crimes involving technology misuse. “We registered the case on Saturday against filmmaker Ranjith and have launched an investigation to verify the details,” he added.