'It was an isolated incident...not interested in pursuing a case': Maala Parvathi

Thiruvananthapuram: Actress Maala Parvathi has clarified her position on the ongoing investigation based on statements made before the Hema Committee, asserting that her personal statements shared with the committee were never intended to trigger a legal case.

"I never said anywhere that I don't believe in the SIT probe. However, the statement I gave before the Hema Committee was not intended to trigger the registration of a case. My statements were personal and shared with a committee set up to make our workplace safer, with the hope that it would lead to enacting new laws. When the High Court directed that a case be registered based on the statements made before the Committee, the SIT contacted me to ask if I wanted to move forward with a case. I told them I was not interested...The incident I discussed before the Committee happened in 2009," Maala Parvathi told Mathrubhumi News.

She went on to explain that she had no intentions of pursuing a case as the incident was an isolated event. "I said that I had no interest in filing a case because it was an isolated incident. If there had been any planning behind it, or if there was any planning from the production or producer's side regarding the issue that happened to me, I would have considered moving forward with a case. However, this was an incident that occurred at a specific time involving an actor. Even if it was an issue, I am not interested in pursuing a case," she added.

Parvathi further stated that while she chose not to move forward with the complaint, she supported those who wish to pursue their individual cases. "I have no objection to the WCC seeking an SIT probe into the statements given before the Hema Committee. It is my personal choice not to move forward with the complaint, but I welcome those who are interested in pursuing their individual cases," she said.

The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), which has been actively advocating for the investigation into the allegations of sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry, has opposed Parvathi’s petition filed in the Supreme Court. Parvathi had approached the apex court challenging the Kerala High Court's order directing that a case be registered based on the statements given to the Hema Committee.

The WCC’s lawyer argued that the petition had become irrelevant as a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had already been set up to investigate the matter. The SIT was formed to probe allegations raised by the Committee, which was constituted by the Kerala Government to look into issues of sexual abuse and harassment within the Malayalam film industry.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing on December 10 to consider the petition challenging the registration of cases based on the Hema Committee report.