Following AMMA general secretary Siddique’s resignation in the sexual assault allegations of a young actress, director Ranjith too has followed suit and handed over his resignation as the chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy. He has handed over the resignation letter to the government.  Earlier, he had informed the members of the academy and the government about his decision to resign.

In an audio clip, Ranjith said he doesn't want to continue in the position as it would adversely impact the reputation of the Left government in the state.

He also said he would fight the accusations against him legally.

"I have been targeted by a certain section of people since the day I took charge as the Chairman of the Academy. I need to prove before the society that the allegations are untrue. I have decided to move legally and bring out the truth," he was heard saying in the audio clip.

"Many people including the media are attacking me without understanding the truth. In this context, I have decided to step down from the post," Ranjith said.

Sources had indicated that the Department of Culture had requested his resignation. Visuals had surfaced showing that the government number plate from his official vehicle being removed.

On Friday, Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra leveled serious allegations against Ranjith. This development comes at a time when the recently released Hema Committee report is under scrutiny.

Mitra, who was initially involved in the production of the 2009-10 film Paleri Manikyam, claimed that Ranjith behaved inappropriately during the shoot, leaving her fearful and distressed. According to reports, Mitra revealed that she was intimidated by Ranjith’s actions, which led her to feel unsafe spending the night at the hotel where she was staying. “I lodged a complaint about the incident with documentary director Joshi. However, no one followed up on the complaint and no action was taken,” Mitra said.