Kerala High Court: In the ongoing case concerning the mistreatment and sexual abuse of women in the Malayalam film industry, the Division Bench of Dr. A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar* and C.S. Sudha, JJ. directed the Nodal Officer appointed by the Special Investigation Team (‘SIT’) to receive complaints from those aggrieved persons who did not approach the Justice Hema Kohli Committee and forward them to the SIT for investigation.
Background
On a previous date, the Court had been informed that some of the victims, who had preferred complaints before the Justice Hema Committee, had since filed formal complaints before the SIT which were being investigated. Additionally, the Court had been informed that some of the complainants were receiving intimidating calls from various persons, and they did not know whom to contact for protection. Noting this, the Court had directed the SIT to nominate a Nodal Officer whose name and contact would be given sufficient publicity so that the officer could be contacted by those persons who were being threatened/intimidated during the pendency of the investigation.
Decision
The Court was informed that pursuant to the last order dated 27-11-2024, a Nodal Officer had been nominated, and sufficient publicity had been given to her contact details.
The Court was also informed that it would be desirable to extend the jurisdiction of the Nodal Officer so as to accommodate those grievances that may be raised by such persons in the Film industry, who had not approached the Justice Hema Committee, with regard to any exploitation/harassment/abuse faced by them
The Court accepted such suggestion and directed that the Nodal Officer shall, on receipt of any such complaint from persons in the Film industry, promptly forward the same to the SIT for investigation while safeguarding the privacy of the complainant concerned. Lastly, the Court reiterated its direction that the SIT shall also file periodic action-taken reports on the various complaints before this Court on every posting date.
[Women in Cinema Collective Mamangam Arts Collective v. State of Kerala, Writ Petition (Civil) No.1248 of 2024, decided on 19-12-2024]
*Order authored by Dr. A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar
Advocates who appeared in this case :
For the petitioner: Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Advocate Sradhaxna Mudrika, Advocate V. Shyamohan, and Advocate Kuriakose Varghese
For the respondent: Advocates B. Ashok Shenoy, R. Hema (Iyer), P.S. Gireesh, Arjun R Naik, Umasanker U.U., Aditya A. Shenoy, Chandana C., Senior Advocate K. Ramakumar, K. Balachandran (PN), and N.S. Gopakumar,