Siddique and Ranjith resign amid sexual assault allegations; Kerala facing political storm

Kerela Govt.

The Kerala government is facing intense scrutiny after two female actors accused prominent figures in the Malayalam film industry, actor Siddique and filmmaker Ranjith, of sexual harassment.

These allegations surfaced following the release of the Hema Committee report, which exposed alarming details about crimes against women in the industry. Despite the gravity of the accusations, the government has yet to take any legal action against the accused.

Ministers Saji Cheriyan (Cultural Affairs) and P Rajeeve (Law) have stated that formal complaints from the victims are necessary before any action can be initiated.

This stance has drawn criticism from the opposition, led by Congress, who questioned the government's inaction and accused it of protecting influential members of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA).

Minister Rajeeve responded by asserting that no members of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) are part of AMMA and assured that legal procedures would be followed to ensure justice for the victims.

In a related development, Ajikumar, a resident of Vyttila, filed a complaint with the Kochi police commissioner, demanding that Siddique be booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.

However, it is reported that the police are unlikely to act on a complaint filed by a third party. Meanwhile, the actresses involved in the allegations, Revathy Sampath and Sreelekha Mitra, have expressed reluctance to pursue legal battles.

Revathy accused Siddique of raping her in a Kochi hotel room in 2016, an incident she first disclosed during the Me Too Movement in 2019. Her renewed allegations prompted Siddique to resign from his position as the general secretary of AMMA.

Revathy has stated that she will not file a formal complaint unless the government guarantees support for sexual assault victims in their legal fight. Similarly, Sreelekha Mitra accused Ranjith of inappropriate behavior during the discussion of his film Paleri Manickyam, leading to a political uproar in the state.

In response, Ranjith resigned as the chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy.