Kochi, 1 April

A court here on Wednesday sent noted Malayalam film director Ranjith to judicial custody after he was arrested late last night in connection with an attempted sexual assault case.

Following his remand, the director claimed that the accusations against him were "false" and that he would be able to prove it.

He made the claim before reporters while being taken inside the sub-jail here.

Even as the director claimed innocence, state Culture Minister Saji Cherian indicated that the government and the police were with the victim, and the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) recommended suspension of Ranjith's membership from the directors and writers unions.

The police said that the victim was "traumatised" by the incident and had to undergo counselling and psychiatric treatment before she could come forward with the complaint.

Kochi City Police Commissioner S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said that a Special Investigation Team was formed after recording the victim's statement, and then the allegations were discreetly verified before moving forward with the arrest.

"It should not happen to any woman, especially at the workplace," he told reporters here.

The officer also said that the director had attempted to remove himself from the area.

Kumar also said that the biggest challenge before the police was to maintain the confidentiality of the case and protect the identity of the victim.

He also said that there were several witnesses to the alleged sexual assault, as the incident happened on a shooting set.

The officer said that the evidence collection was progressing, and the director's custody will be sought when required.

FEFKA general secretary B Unnikrishnan told reporters here that there was no complaint made to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in connection with the incident.

FEFKA is an association of several craft unions in the Malayalam film industry.

Ranjith was taken into custody from the Idukki district on Tuesday evening, and subsequently, his arrest was recorded.

He was produced at the residence of a magistrate here in the morning and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.

The case against Ranjith was registered by Kochi City Police a few days ago based on the victim's complaint.

Earlier in the day, Cherian told reporters that "such acts will not be accepted by the government or the society" and that the government and the police were with the victim.

Ranjith was appointed as chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy in 2022 and resigned from the post in 2024.

The minister said that the director was appointed to the post because he was qualified for it, and at that time, there were no such allegations against him.

"He carried forward the academy in a good way. When such allegations came up earlier, he had left the position. We are viewing the repetition of the same allegations against him seriously. Neither the police nor the government is protecting him," he said.

He said that the quick action taken against the director is an outcome of the recent changes in the movie sector, including holding of the cinema conclave and the state film policy.

"Let the investigation take its course," he added.

The minister also said that anyone in the film sector having similar bad experiences can come forward with a complaint and stand firm on it, as the government will be with them.

According to the police, the woman actor alleged that the director had invited her to a caravan during the shooting of a film and attempted to sexually assault her.

Ranjith had earlier faced allegations of sexual harassment following revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report on harassment and abuse in the Malayalam film industry.

In 2024, a case was registered against Ranjith after a Bengali actress filed a complaint with the Kochi City Police Commissioner.

The complaint, sent via email, alleged that Ranjith had touched her inappropriately with sexual intent after inviting her to act in the film Paleri Manikyam in 2009.