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The Cantonment police in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, have filed a chargesheet against noted Malayalam filmmaker and former Independent MLA PT Kunju Muhammed, who is accused of sexual assault and outraging the modesty of a woman filmmaker.
According to a The Hindu report, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cantonment, Stuart Keeler said the chargesheet was submitted before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court–III, Thiruvananthapuram, in the last week of January after concluding that a prima facie case existed against the accused. Police have listed around 15 witnesses and submitted documentary evidence, including CCTV footage from a hotel where the alleged incident occurred.
The incident took place on November 6, 2025, when Kunju Muhammed, who was then the chairman of the jury responsible for selecting Malayalam films for the 30th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), allegedly invited the complainant to his hotel suite under the pretext of discussing the film selection process. The complainant has alleged that the filmmaker made unsolicited and aggressive sexual advances, following which she fled the room.
The woman filmmaker later approached the Internal Complaints Committee of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, and subsequently submitted a complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on November 27. The complaint was forwarded to the State Police Chief, leading to the registration of an FIR on December 8 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), including charges of outraging the modesty of a woman, sexual assault, illegal detention, intimidation and trespass.
Police said the complainant gave a sworn statement before a judicial magistrate in camera. Investigators also retrieved surveillance footage from the hotel, which was submitted to the court as part of the evidence.
Kunju Muhammed, a two-time former legislator from Perambra in Kozhikode district and a prominent figure in Malayalam cinema, has denied the allegations, describing them as stemming from a “possible misunderstanding”. He has stated that he is willing to issue a public apology. The filmmaker, who is currently on anticipatory bail granted by a Thiruvananthapuram sessions court in December, has been directed not to leave the country without court permission.