A court in Ernakulam on Wednesday remanded veteran Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan to 14 days of judicial custody following his arrest in a sexual harassment case filed by a female actor.
Ranjith was produced before a magistrate early in the day after undergoing a medical examination at Ernakulam General Hospital. He was later shifted back to the hospital before being taken to the Ernakulam Sub Jail. His legal team is expected to move a bail application later on Wednesday.
According to police sources, the director has not been cooperating with medical procedures. Doctors had advised a CT scan after fluctuations in his blood pressure, but he reportedly refused. He also declined to take prescribed medication despite repeated spikes in BP levels.
The arrest was carried out on Tuesday night by the Kochi City Police, who took him into custody from Thodupuzha in Idukki district after intercepting his vehicle. After initial formalities at the local police station, he was handed over to Kochi City Police.
An FIR was registered at the Ernakulam North Women’s Police Station under charges related to sexual assault and outraging the modesty of a woman. According to the complaint, the alleged incident took place inside a caravan on a film set in Fort Kochi in January.
The complainant submitted her statement to the Kochi City Police Commissioner, following which a case was formally registered. Her statement was recorded over two days, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Aswathi Jiji was constituted to probe the matter. Police sources said the investigation was conducted with a high degree of secrecy.
The probe was overseen by Kochi City Police Commissioner S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar and DCP Aswathi Jiji, with limited internal disclosure. Investigators stated that preliminary verification found sufficient grounds to proceed with the case.
Police are also examining claims that attempts were made to resolve the matter privately before it reached authorities. Sources further alleged that Ranjith tried to evade arrest after learning about the police action. He was detained along with actor Bobby Kurian and another individual accompanying him.
According to the remand report submitted before the magistrate, the alleged incident occurred on January 30. The report also referenced two prior cases against the filmmaker. Investigators told the court that granting bail at this stage could potentially hamper the ongoing probe.
The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court is expected to consider his bail plea later in the day. His legal team is likely to cite his medical condition, noting that he has previously undergone a liver transplant and spinal surgery.
Speaking to the media, Ranjith dismissed the allegations, describing the case as an attempt to “destroy” him. Meanwhile, sources close to the director claimed that the complaint may have been driven by personal grievances, alleging that the actor was removed from an ongoing project due to unsatisfactory performance. Police, however, said they found no evidence to support this claim.
Separately, the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) has initiated internal discussions on the matter. General Secretary B Unnikrishnan said proposals have been submitted to the Directors’ and Writers’ unions to consider action against Ranjith. He also noted that no complaint has been filed with the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) so far, adding that the unions’ executive committees will meet to deliberate on the issue.
Also read: Vijayan writes to CEO, raps action over ‘BJP seal’ row