Kochi: A Bengali actor, who had earlier initiated legal action against filmmaker Ranjith, has reacted strongly following his arrest in a female actor’s sexual assault complaint, saying the latest developments reaffirm her long-standing allegations.

Speaking to Mathrubhumi, the actress said, “Karma is a bitch. It leaves nobody. So whatever goes around comes around. This person, Ranjith, may be an acclaimed director or somebody who is famous. But the recent incident that came to light again proves that he is a sexual predator. For me, it took 15 years to come forward and talk about it. Because I knew no one back then, social media wasn’t relevant, and my case was kind of nullified because of the time constraint and technical issue... These kinds of sexual predators should be put behind bars, and this should be set as an example. Women deserve respect in their jobs.”

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The actor also thanked the complainant for coming forward with the allegations.

Earlier, a case registered against Ranjith based on the Bengali actor’s complaint was quashed by the Kerala High Court, citing the delay in filing the case, nearly 15 years after the alleged incident in 2009.

The complaint was filed in August 2024, shortly after the release of the Justice K Hema Committee Report. According to the FIR, the actor alleged that she was called to a flat in Kochi under the pretext of a film discussion related to Paleri Manikyam, where she was allegedly touched without consent.

Police had registered the case under charges including sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of a woman.

Ranjith was arrested late Tuesday night in connection with a case of alleged attempted sexual assault, police said.

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

The director, who was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days, denied the allegations and termed them "false", saying the truth would be proved. He made the remarks to reporters while being taken to a sub-jail here.