Filmmaker and former MLA P.T. Kunju Muhammed has approached the Thiruvananthapuram Principal Sessions Court seeking anticipatory bail in a case related to the alleged sexual assault of a woman working in the film industry. Kunju Muhammed, who is also known as a CPM fellow traveller, submitted the bail plea after police registered a case against him under non-bailable sections of the law. The court is scheduled to hear the plea on Monday.

Police have already submitted a report in connection with the case, stating that the complaint against Kunju Muhammed carries prima facie merit. According to the report, investigators have collected crucial evidence, including CCTV footage from the hotel where the incident allegedly took place.

The police have further indicated that the complainant’s statement is yet to be recorded under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before a magistrate. Following this, Kunju Muhammed’s statement will also be taken as part of the ongoing investigation.

The alleged incident occurred last month during the selection screening of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). The complainant, a film professional, has alleged that Kunju Muhammed behaved inappropriately with her in a hotel room in Thiruvananthapuram. She alleged that she was invited to the room on some pretext, after which the alleged sexual assault occurred.

The woman initially lodged her complaint via email to the Chief Minister’s Office on November 27. However, the complaint was forwarded to the police only on December 2, and the Cantonment Police registered the case on December 8. The delay in registering the FIR had drawn sharp criticism from various quarters.