Hema panel report: SIT zeroes in on 20 serious allegations

KOCHI: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Hema Committee report, which highlighted the sexual harassment of women in the Malayalam film industry has now zeroed in on 20 allegations of a serious nature.

At the end of its meeting, the SIT decided to take statements of those who deposed before the Hema Committee.

If the complainants stick to their complaints, then it’s bad news for those who misbehaved with them, as an FIR will be registered and due process of law will follow.

So the SIT, which is split into different teams will now call these 20 complainants and latest by September 30, they will finish their job as the Kerala High Court Special Bench formed to tackle all cases relating to the Hema Committee report has posted the next hearing for October 3.

On that day the SIT will file an Action Taken Report.

The SIT includes four women IAS officers who have secured the unedited version of the Hema Committee report.

As a matter of caution, the different probe teams have been given the report in parts only, with a rider that there should be no photocopies taken.

The report was released on August 19 with several paragraphs censored.

The Malayalam film industry has been seething after the Hema Committee report was published.

A few former actresses revealed their bad experiences and the police were quick to act.

By now the police have registered 11 FIRs against various film personalities after former actresses revealed to the media how they were exploited.

At present those who are in the dock include actor-turned-CPI(M) legislator Mukesh Madhavan, Nivin Pauly, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble.

Mukesh, Ranjith, Raju and a few others have already got relief from the courts from being arrested.