Hema Committee report: SIT closes all 35 cases due to lack of victim testimony

A Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the allegation of sexual harassment brought forward after the release of the Hema Committee report, has dropped all associated cases. On Wednesday, the SIT informed the Kerala High Court that all 35 cases had been dropped after no victim came forward to provide statements, leaving the cases unsubstantiated.

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Given the SIT report, a bench comprising Justices A. K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and C. S. Sudha stated that no further action was required to be taken at this time regarding the crimes registered by the agency.

The court also acknowledged that the Kerala Film Policy Conclave will be held in Thiruvananthapuram on August 2 and 3 to deliberate on film policies. Consequently, the court has scheduled a follow-up hearing on August 13 to consider the petitions further.

The Hema Committee report came to light in August 2024. It probed various allegations of sexual harassment against women professionals in the Malayalam film industry. The three-member committee, headed by retired justice K. Hema, handed over the 233-page report to the state government on December 31, 2019. It was initiated after the sexual assault of a prominent Mollywood actress back in 2017.

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Following the report’s release, a surge of allegations came forward against members of the film industry. This caused a disturbance in the framework and particularly affected the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), which was then led by Mollywood biggie Mohanlal, who stepped down from his post. The election for the new governing body of the association is scheduled to take place in the next three months.

 

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