The Kerala police's Special Investigation Team probing the alleged workplace harassment charges in Malayalam cinema has paused the investigation in several cases registered based on the Hema Committee report and revelations aftermath citing lack of cooperation from survivors.
As per reports, Kerala police registered 120 FIRs based on survivor accounts mentioned in the Hema Committee report and revelations made by women in social media and public forums in the aftermath of the release of the sensational report. The SIT has informed respective courts that it cannot proceed with the case where survivors are not coming forward to give statements and as and when they are ready to cooperate, the investigation will be resumed, OnManorama reported.
The SIT has reportedly registered 35 cases based on statements in the Hema Committee report and 85 cases based on revelations made by survivors in the aftermath of the release of the report on social media and public forums.
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"In cases that were recorded directly based on the Hema Committee report, there were no names. It meant we were required to gather information from survivors, and they said they did not want to proceed with the investigation. Even in other cases, survivors did not turn up for giving statements, even though the court sent them notices thrice. However, we have informed the court that we will resume the investigation whenever they are ready to give statements," said a senior police official associated with the SIT told the publication.
The Kerala government formed the Hema Committee in 2017 to study the exploitation of women in Malayalam cinema. The three-member committee headed by retired judge Justice K. Hema submitted the report to the government in 2019. A redacted version of the report was released in 2024.
