Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan has been taken into custody in Kerala after an actress filed sexual assault charges against him. The complaint was filed in Kochi while the filmmaker was intercepted in Idukki in a secret operation to nab him.
Malayalam producer-director Ranjith Balakrishnan, who is known for the award-winning films Spirit, Thirakkatha and Indian Rupee, was arrested on March 31 in Kerala. The filmmaker was taken into custody in Idukki after an actress filed a sexual assault complaint against him in Kochi. She has accused Ranjith of inappropriate behaviour during a film currently in production. The Ernakulam Central Police arrested Ranjith with the help of local authorities in Thodupuzha. In 2024, the filmmaker resigned as Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairman after Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra accused him of harassment. Ranjith had denied the allegations after stepping down as chairman.
Ranjith taken into custody in sexual assault case in Kerala
According to a report in Matrubhumi, Ranjith was arrested in Idukki. The Ernakulam Central Police and local authorities in Thodupuzha worked in tandem to intercept the director as he was journeying through the town for a pre-scheduled event. The report stated that the operation was conducted with “utmost secrecy” upon the directions of the Idukki Superintendent of Police to avoid any public disruption.
Afterwards, Ranjith was first transported to the Thodupuzha police station for the necessary formalities and later moved to the Ernakulam Central Police to continue with the investigation. The actress filed a case against Ranjith and accused him of behaving inappropriately on the set of a film currently in production.
The actress, whose name has not been named to maintain her identity, had also filed a formal grievance with the film’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) as per the Matrubhumi report. The committee reviewed the grievance and sent the case to the Kerala Police for further action.
Before escalating the matter to law enforcement, the victim filed a formal grievance with the film’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). Once the committee reviewed the grievance, they passed the case over to the Kerala Police for further action. The report revealed that the officials made sure the sensitive details of the complaint were kept confidential and the entire preliminary inquiry was conducted with strict privacy.