#MeToo hits Malayalam film industry ... CPI(M) MLA and actor Mukesh booked under non-bailable offence for alleged sexual assault of actress

More Malayalam actors, who were accused of sexual misconduct in the wake of the Justice Hema Committee report’s release, were booked by Kerala Police on Thursday, including CPI(M) MLA M Mukesh.

A woman actor had on Monday accused actors Mukesh, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, and Maniyanpillai Raju, as well as film production controller Noble and Congress-affiliated lawyers association leader V S Chandrasekharan, of sexual misconduct. They were all booked Thursday.  

The case against Mukesh was registered under IPC sections as the offence allegedly occurred before the new Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita came into force, according to police. 

IPC section 376 (1) which deals with rape; section 452 dealing with house trespass with the intent to hurt or assault someone; section 509 dealing with intend to insult a woman's modesty by using words, gestures, or acts; section 354 dealing with assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty are the charges included in the case.

Mukesh has denied the allegations as “blackmail tactics”. Director Ranjith, who was booked by police earlier this week after another woman actor accused him of sexual misconduct in 2009, faced yet another allegation Thursday by a man from Kozhikode.

The man filed a police complaint against Ranjith in Kozhikode. Speaking to the media afterwards, he claimed that he had approached Ranjith for an acting opportunity and the director called him to a hotel in Bengaluru in 2012. The man, who claimed he was 21 at the time, claimed he was sexually abused.

Meanwhile, as calls for Mukesh’s resignation as MLA intensified, Kerala’s ruling Left alliance, the LDF, said there was no need for him to quit as two sitting Congress legislators are also accused in sexual assault cases.

However, later on Thursday, Mukesh got a reprieve after the district sessions court in Ernakulam stayed his arrest for five days. LDF convener and senior CPI(M) leader E P Jayarajan said that the two Congress legislators with sexual assault cases against them “should resign first before asking for Mukesh’s resignation”.

Referring to the pending cases against Congress MLAs M Vincent and Eldhose Kunnappilly, the LDF leader said, “Had they resigned, then Mukesh too would have to resign. The law is applicable equally to all legislators.”

On being told that some CPI leaders, including Annie Raja, have sought Mukesh’s resignation, Jayarajan said: “Anyone can demand anything.”

Senior CPI(M) leader K K Shailaja said that if Mukesh has committed a crime, then he is not eligible to continue as MLA. “But, right now, we are in the initial stages of the investigation, and we cannot say whether he should resign or not,” she said.

The Special Investigation Team constituted to look into allegations has begun collecting evidence and statements of witnesses in the cases pertaining to actor Siddique and director Ranjith.

Police examined the check-in register and documents at Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram, where, according to a woman actor’s allegations, Siddique had allegedly sexually assaulted her.

A case of sexual assault was also registered against documentary director Vineeth, and movie reviewers Santhosh Varkey, known as Arattu Annan, Alin Jose Perera, and two others based on a complaint from a 34-year-old transwoman, who alleged that she was sexually assaulted by them in April this year.

Blogger : Parliament 

BJP touches 96 mark, NDA regain majority in Rajya Sabha .... imposing President's Rule becomes easier

Once the newly elected members of Rajya Sabha take oath, the BJP will have a total of 96 members in the House. The NDA numbers will be 121 -- two more than simple majority of 119 in the present strength of 237-member Upper House.

The Congress on the other hand will have a total of 27 members in the Rajya Sabha. The other major opposition parties include the Trinamool Congress 13 members, YSRCP (11), Aam Aadmi Party and DMK with 10 each, BJD eight and RJD 5.

The majority-mark in the 245-member Rajya Sabha is 122. However, at present the House has 237 members with four vacancies from Jammu and Kashmir, where legislative assembly elections are scheduled to be held next month, and four vacancies from nominated members. 

What brings delight in the NDA camp is even four nominated members in all likelihood would be supporting the government especially on key legislation or such key stages.  

The YSRCP and the BJD are fence sitters they have been supporting the BJP in legislation in the previous two Modi governments.

The other non-aligned parties include AIADMK (4) and BRS (4) but they can support the government at different stages.

In July, the NDA had fallen short of a majority when the then-226 member Rajya Sabha had 101 members from the NDA with 19 vacancies in the house.

But now things are tilted in favour of the Modi government and the treasury bench. 

The BJP candidates elected unopposed included Mission Ranjan Dass and Rameshwar Teli from Assam, Manan Kumar Mishra from Bihar, Kiran Chadhary from Haryana, George Kurien from Madhya Pradesh, Dhirya Sheel Patil from Maharashtra, Mamata Mohanta from Odisha, Ravneet Singh Bittu from Rajasthan and Rajeev Bhattacharjee from Tripura.

Congress's Abhishek Manu Singhvi was elected unopposed from Telangana. NCP Ajit Pawar faction's Nitin Patil got elected from Maharashtra and RLM's Updendra Kushwaha made it to the upper house from Bihar.

ends