Hema Committee: Kerala HC asks SIT to establish nodal officer as point of contact

The Kerala High Court's Special Bench on Wednesday directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing sexual harassment complaints in the Malayalam film industry to appoint a nodal officer. The officer would serve as a point of contact for victims, complainants, or witnesses seeking assistance or wishing to report concerns.

The directive follows reports of intimidation faced by victims who approached the SIT after filing complaints with the Justice Hema Committee, which exposed poor conditions for women in the industry.

Hema Committee report triggers action
The special bench, established after the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, highlighted that several victims had received threatening calls. “Taking note of the same, we deem it appropriate to direct the SIT to immediately nominate a nodal officer and give adequate publicity of the name and contact of the nodal officers nominated by them,” the court stated.

The Hema Committee’s findings, published in August, led to 11 FIRs being registered against prominent Malayalam actors. These include former CPM legislator Mukesh, Siddique, Edavela Babu, Jayasurya, Ranjith, Maniyanpillai Raju, and Nivin Pauly, among others, all of whom have secured bail.

WCC pushes for a Cinema Code of Conduct
The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) petitioned the court for the implementation of a Cinema Code of Conduct (CCC) to ensure fair and secure working environments on film sets. Their counsel raised concerns over threats to victims and witnesses, prompting the court to intervene with the nodal officer directive.

Next steps
The SIT will now publicise the officer’s contact information to enable victims to voice concerns efficiently. The case will be taken up for further hearing on December 11.