Malayalam director Ranjith Balakrishnan has been remanded to 14 days in judicial custody following his arrest in a sexual harassment case on Tuesday night
He was arrested in Idukki district on Tuesday evening after an actress alleged that he attempted to sexually harass her on a film set.
He was initially taken to the Thodupuzha police station and was later handed over to the Kochi police.
After the arrest was recorded her was taken for medical examination and produced before the magistrate.
The woman actor told police that the director had invited her to a caravan during the shooting of a film in Fort Kochi and then attempted to sexually assault her. Her statement was recorded at the Women’s Police Station on Monday.
The case against the director was registered a few days ago by the Kochi city police.
This is not the first time Ranjith has faced such allegations. He had come under the radar revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report on sexual harassment and abuse in Mollywood.
In 2024, another actress filed a complaint against the director with the Kochi City police commissioner, and a case was registered against him.
The actress had alleged that the director had touched her inappropriately after inviting her to act in the film Paleri Manikyam in 2009.
The Kerala High Court had closed the anticipatory bail plea filed by him after the police stated that they were considering treating the alleged offence committed in 2009 as bailable.
Responding to the recent arrest, she said, “Karma is a bitch, it leaves nobody. Whatever goes around comes around. He may be an acclaimed director or a famous figure, but this recent incident proves that he is essentially not a good human being,” she said.
A young man from Kozhikode had also alleged that he was sexually assaulted by the director in Bengaluru.
