Director Ranjith appears before SIT for questioning on sexual abuse allegations

Kochi: Director Ranjith appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday to answer questions regarding sexual abuse allegations against him. The questioning is taking place at the Coastal IG office in Kochi, where Ranjith met IG Poonkuzhali.

Upon arrival at 11:10 am, Ranjith was asked by Mathrubhumi reporter about the allegations. He responded with a laugh, saying, "I was called. Let me just go meet them." When pressed for details about the truth of the case, he simply said, "I’ll tell them."

Ranjith has been avoiding the media for the past month. The director had previously addressed the allegations through an audio message, and the court had earlier cleared the way for granting him anticipatory bail.

Actress's complaint against Ranjith

The complaint, submitted to the City Police Commissioner, alleged that in 2009, during a discussion about a film, Ranjith summoned the actress to his flat in Kadavanthra, Kochi. There, he is accused of inappropriately touching her with sexual intent.

The complaint further alleged that Ranjith, while discussing his film Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha, held the actress's hand tightly and made unwelcome advances. The actress reportedly fled the flat and returned to her hotel. She later confided in scriptwriter Joshy Joseph, who helped her secure a return ticket. The complaint was filed within the jurisdiction of the station where the incident occurred.

The actress raised her allegations following the release of the Hema Committee report. The outcry in the film and cultural community led to Ranjith’s resignation from his position as Chairman of the Chalachitra Academy.

Young man's complaint against the director

Earlier, a young man had also accused Ranjith of sexually assaulting him after promising a role in a film. He had lodged his complaint at the Kasaba police station in Kozhikode.

The complaint involves an incident where the young man alleges he was sexually assaulted by Ranjith in a hotel room. He recounted first meeting Ranjith in 2012 on the set of the film Bavuttiyude Namathil when he was a plus two student. According to the complaint, Ranjith later summoned him to a five-star hotel in Bengaluru, where the assault occurred under the pretext of offering him a role in a film.