The state government also informed the court that 10 preliminary enquiries are being conducted. (File)

Kochi:

Kerala government on Monday informed the High Court that 26 FIRs have been registered based on the Justice Hema Committee report on the pitiable condition of women in the Malayalam film industry.

A special investigation team (SIT) was formed after the court took cognizance of the report. The SIT has now registered 26 FIRs as per Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

The state government also informed the court that 10 preliminary enquiries are being conducted, and four other cases are being investigated by the SIT.

It added that a report of the progress of the investigation can also be submitted before the Court.

The detailed report was submitted to the Special Bench constituted to look into the report which also includes Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice CS Sudha.

At its last hearing, the court spoke tough and pointed out that the report mentions cognizable offences and hence the SIT should act appropriately.

The Court after hearing the counsel for the state government orally pointed out “…Now 26 FIRs have been registered, in eight cases, the names are mentioned and in 18 cases, the names of accused persons are not explicitly mentioned. Is this part of 40 complaints that were originally there…”

The Hema Committee report on the working conditions of women in the Malayalam film industry is based on testimonies from 51 industry professionals. The report reveals shocking details about the exploitation of women, including the existence of casting couches and poor working conditions.

After the report was released in August, a few former actresses publicly revealed their bad experiences and police were quick to act, registering 11 FIRs against various film personalities.

At present, those who are in the dock include actor-turned-CPI-M legislator Mukesh Madhavan, Nivin Pauly, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble, apart from Siddique. Mukesh, Ranjith, Raju, Prakash, and Jayasurya have already got relief from the courts from being arrested, while Siddique was the first actor who applied for anticipatory bail but failed to get it from any court in Kerala and it was the apex court that gave him pre-arrest bail.

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