Kerala High Court Expands Nodal Officer's Role in Film Industry Probe

The Kerala High Court has agreed to broaden the mandate of the nodal officer overseeing cases linked to the Justice Hema Committee report on sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry. The officer will now handle additional grievances and coordinate with the special investigation team.

The Kerala High Court has approved a proposal to expand the role of the nodal officer appointed to manage cases related to the Justice Hema Committee report, which unveiled widespread sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry.

A panel of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and C S Sudha accepted senior counsel Gopal Sankaranarayanan's suggestion to extend the nodal officer's responsibilities to include complaints from those in the film industry who had not contacted the committee.

The nodal officer now has the duty to promptly forward any complaint of misconduct or abuse to the special investigation team while ensuring the complainant's confidentiality. The SIT is required to submit periodic reports to the court regarding the complaints it processes.

(With inputs from agencies.)