Mollywood's #MeToo Movement: 4 Women IPS Officers To Probe Sexual Abuse Cases - Meet Team Members

Justice K Hema Committee's report has caused an uproar in the Malayalam film industry with actresses coming forth and narrating their harassment and sexual abuse stories. After the report was made public, Director Ranjith and veteran actor Siddique stepped down from their leadership roles in a state-run film academy and the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), respectively. Following their resignation, the Kerala government on Sunday formed a special seven-member team to probe the atrocities faced by women professionals in Mollywood.

Meet members of the special probe team

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a high-level meeting of senior police officials on Sunday and constituted a seven-member team to probe allegations of harassment against women professionals in Mollywood. The team will be headed by IG Sparjan Kumar and will include four senior women IPS officers of Kerala. 

The team includes DIG S Ajeetha Begum, Crime Branch HQ SP Merin Joseph, Coastal Police AIG Poonkuzhali, Kerala Police Academy Assistant Director Aishwarya Dongre, AIG Ajith V and Crime Branch SP S Madhusoodhan, according to a report in news agency PTI. Crime Branch ADGP H Venkatesh will be overseeing the functioning of the team. 

What was revealed in the Hema Committee Report?

The report by the Justice Hema Committee, constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case, has revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry, prompting calls for action against the guilty. In the report, 17 issues faced by women professionals in Mollywood have been highlighted, ranging from sexual harassment to pay disparity. 

Why did Ranjith and Siddique step down from their positions in state-run film bodies?

Director Ranjith resigned as Kerala Chalachitra Academy Chairman after he was accused of misconduct by Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra. It was followed by Siddique's resignation as General Secretary of the  Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The veteran actor was accused of sexual misconduct by actress Revathy Sampath. She alleged that the incident happened when she was 21 years old. She recounted Siddique initially contacted her on Facebook, addressing her as "Mole," a term often used in Kerala to refer to a young girl or daughter.

"Siddique sent me messages on Facebook. I had come to discuss a film. During the discussion, he sexually abused me. He assaulted me, both physically and mentally. Siddique is a criminal. I went through severe mental trauma. It even affected my professional life. No system stood by me. It took me a long time to speak out," she told ANI.