Published Mar 31, 2026 | 11:01 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 31, 2026 | 11:01 PM
Ranjith
Synopsis: The case was registered based on a complaint by an actress currently working in a film directed by Ranjith. In her statement, she alleged that the director attempted to sexually assault her at a film shooting location.
Prominent Malayalam filmmaker, scriptwriter and a former chairman of the Kerala State Chalachithra Academy, Ranjith Balakrishnan, was arrested on Tuesday, 31 March, following a sexual harassment complaint filed by a young actress.
The police picked up the 61-year-old filmmaker from Thodupuzha in Idukki district, reportedly after intercepting his vehicle.
Acting on instructions from the Idukki Superintendent of Police, local officers detained him and shifted him to the Thodupuzha police station.
He is expected to be handed over to the Ernakulam Central Police for further proceedings.
The case was registered based on a complaint by an actress currently working in a film directed by Ranjith. In her statement, she alleged that the director attempted to sexually assault her at a film shooting location.
The complaint was initially submitted to the state Director General of Police and a Special Investigation Team.
Subsequently, the Ernakulam Central Police registered a case and began a discreet probe. The actress’s confidential statement was recorded before a magistrate, and she was also examined at a women’s police station.
The investigation is being overseen by Ernakulam City Deputy Commissioner of Police Aswathy Jiji. Senior officers said that the complaint has prima facie merit.
The matter was also reported to City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Maheshwar.
This is not the first time the filmmaker has faced such accusations. In 2024, the Kempegowda International Airport Police registered an FIR against Ranjith over allegations of sexually assaulting a male film artist at a hotel near Kempegowda International Airport in 2012.
In a separate case the same year, the Ernakulam North Police booked him under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code based on a complaint by a woman actor from Bengal, who accused him of molestation dating back to 2009 during the casting process of the film Paleri Manikyam Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Katha.
However, the proceedings in that case were later quashed by the Kerala High Court.
Meanwhile, Ranjith is in police custody in Thodupuzha as procedural formalities continue. Officials indicated that he will soon be transferred to Kochi for detailed interrogation and further legal action.
The case has once again brought renewed attention to allegations of misconduct within the Malayalam film industry, with calls for stricter accountability and safer working environments for artists.
