Hema Committee Report: Actors Mukesh and Edavela Babu Granted Anticipatory Bail In Sexual Assault Case

Malayalam actor-politician Mukesh and actor Edavela Babu were granted anticipatory bail in Kerala's Kochi in sexual assault case. A few days ago, the two actors were accused of sexual abuse by a former Malayalam actor, Minu Muneer. The actor filed a complaint against seven individuals, including Mukesh, Jayasurya and Edavela Babu. Subsequently, an FIR was filed against CPI-M legislatory and actor Mukesh, Edavela Babu.

In the last week of August, Muneer named seven people and accused them of physical and verbal abuse. "I am writing to report a series of incidents of physical and verbal abuse I suffered at the hands of 1,Mukesh 2,Maniyan pilla raju 3,idavela Babu 4,Jayasoorya 5,adv Chandrasekaran, 6,production controller noble and vichu, in the Malayalam film industry (sic)," she wrote on her Facebook post. "In 2013, I was subjected to physical and verbal abuse by these individuals while working on a project. I tried to cooperate and continue working, but the abuse became unbearable. As a result, I was forced to leave the Malayalam film industry and relocate to Chennai," she wrote. Following Minu Muneer's complaint, Mukesh called for a 'fair and transparent inquiry'.

"In response to the allegations raised against me and other film industry colleagues, I welcome the ongoing investigations. A fair and transparent inquiry is crucial to uncover the truth behind the accusations being discussed in the public domain," Mukesh said in a statement.This case is part of a broader investigation following revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report, which has led to multiple FIRs against various high-profile Malayalam film personalities for sexual harassment. The committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealing instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.

Last month, a redacted version of the Justice Hema Committee report on harassment in the Malayalam cinema industry was made public, revealing disturbing accounts of exploitation and mistreatment of women professionals. The report, produced by a three-member panel led by a former Kerala High Court judge and submitted to the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government in December 2019, was only released this month. In response, the government has established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to further investigate the issues faced by women in the industry.