Kochi: The director of the acclaimed film Manjummel Boys, Chidambaram (Chidambaram S Poduval) has been granted anticipatory bail by the Ernakulam Sessions Court following a sexual assault complaint filed by an actress. The Ernakulam Town South Police had registered a criminal case against the director based on allegations that he trespassed into her flat and assaulted her.

The order was passed by Sessions Judge K K Balakrishnan. The case was registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A(1)(i) (sexual harassment involving physical contact) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman). The alleged incident dates back to May 2022.

‘A bid to tarnish image’

In his plea for anticipatory bail, Chidambaram denied all allegations, maintaining that his interactions with the actress were strictly professional and related to the film's production. The defence argued that

The complaint was filed with a significant delay of nearly four years.

The allegations are a deliberate attempt to tarnish the director's public image.

The actress was reportedly not cooperating with the investigation, as noted in the investigating officer’s report.

Court’s observations

The court decided to grant bail after considering several factors, including the delay in reporting the incident and the investigating officer's remarks regarding the complainant's lack of cooperation.

The court also took note of an existing interim order from the Bombay High Court, which restrained the publication of defamatory content against Chidambaram in the media. Advocate Chitra Renthala represented the director in the proceedings.