Kerala police on Tuesday arrested Malayalam film director Ranjith in connection with a sexual assault allegation.
Ranjith was arrested in Thodupuzha while travelling to Idukki as part of campaign for the upcoming assembly elections. He was later taken to Ernakulam as the case was registered by Ernakulam Central Police.
The complainant is an actress who was acting in a film directed by Ranjith. He allegedly tried to grab her inside a caravan at the shooting location of his directorial film, according to Manorama News.
The complaint was initially submitted to the DGP and former SIT. The investigation is led by Ernakulam City DCP Aswathy Gigi. The actress's complaint was recorded two days ago.
Separately, in 2024, a Bengali actress had accused Ranjith of sexual harassment, stemming from a 2009 incident during the audition of Palerimanikyam. Following this, he was forced to resign from the post of Kerala State Chalachithra Academy. However, Ranjith had denied these accusations, adding that the Bengali actress was called for an audition, but was not selected as she was not suitable for the role.
