Kerala HC Demands Sealed Hema Committee Report on Film Industry Atrocities

The Kerala High Court has requested a sealed submission of the Hema Committee report concerning atrocities against women in the Malayalam film industry. Despite the report being completed in 2019, it includes sensitive information. The court is currently reviewing legal dynamics and the government's next steps.

The Kerala High Court has demanded the state government to submit, in a sealed cover, the Hema Committee report on atrocities against women in the Malayalam film industry. This decision was made on Thursday while reviewing a public interest litigation (PIL) from Thiruvananthapuram resident Navas.

The division bench of Acting Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and Justice S Manu acknowledged the report's serious allegations and has admitted the writ petition, instructing the government to file a counter affidavit. The court inquired about the state's subsequent actions based on this report, to which the government responded that legal cases could not proceed without official complaints, citing the confidentiality of the statements recorded.

Amid these proceedings, the Kerala High Court also included the State Women's Commission in the case. The PIL urged for the public release of the Hema Committee's original report and the initiation of criminal proceedings related to alleged sexual offences. Formed after the 2017 actress assault case involving actor Dileep, the Justice K Hema Committee's findings contain sensitive data, compelling the court to carefully navigate the legal landscape.

(With inputs from agencies.)