Kerala police have registered at least 17 cases over sexual assault allegations in the Malayalam film industry. This includes a rape case against actor Siddique based on a complaint lodged by a young actress.
In the complaint, the actress alleged that she was molested at hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. On Sunday, Siddique had resigned as AMMA Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) general secretary a day after she alleged that Siddique had sexually assaulted and locked her in a hotel room when she was 21.
The actress had said that she had opened up about the incident back in 2019 and that she has nothing to lose now as she has been denied opportunities in movies.
Another actress has also filed a complaint with the DGP against an unidentified actor who allegedly groped her during the shooting of a movie in 2013, reported Manorama News. Earlier, she denied unconfirmed reports that she was harassed by Jayasurya and urged media to not link the actor to her allegations. Her statement has been recorded by the SIT.
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The SIT will also record the statement of a third actress who lodged sexual misconduct complaints against seven men, including actors Jayasurya, Mukesh, Edavela Babu and Maniyanpilla Raju.
The investigation team has also recorded a confidential statement by a Bengali actress who filed a complaint against director Ranjith who she accused of misbehaviour. Ranjith had stepped down as the chairman of Kerala film academy following the allegations. Coastal AIG Poonkuzhali is likely to interrogate the director in connection with the complaint, reported Manorama News, citing sources.
