After more than a month since a complaint of sexual harassment was filed against Malayalam filmmaker PT Kunhi Mohammed, little has been done by the government of Kerala and the police, the Women in Cinema Collective said. The complainant in the case -- who also works in the film industry -- said that she has been under a lot of pressure to withdraw the complaint.
The incident had allegedly taken place when she worked with the filmmaker, on the invitation of the government, to select movies for the International Film Festival of Kerala. On November 25, the complainant had informed the Chief Minister about the alleged harassment by Kunhi Muhammed.
However, the First Information Report against Kunhi Mohammed, director of films like Garshom and Paradeshi and former MLA, was registered only on December 8. This was just a day before Kerala local body polls. He secured anticipatory bail before his arrest was recorded by the Cantonment Police in Thiruvananthapuram on December 23. He was released on bail the same day. The WCC condemned the delay in taking action against the filmmaker, which allowed him time to apply for bail.
The WCC said that the survivor had to persistently enquire about her complaint with the police for them to register an FIR. The FIR was filed only when media reports surfaced about the crime, the statement said.
On December 28, Asianet News reported the survivor as telling them that she was under a lot of pressure to withdraw the case. She has been asked to consider his age (he is 76), and his seniority and health conditions, she said. The government and the system has been very lax with her complaint, she said.
The WCC said that the chairperson and the vice chairperson of the Chalachitra Academy, which conducts the IFFK, had promised help, and following this, Kunhi Muhammed's name was removed from the festival handbook and he was not invited for the event, held between December 12 and 19.
"The Academy's assurance that they would use the IFFK venue to declare that there will be a zero tolerance policy towards such behaviour remains in paper. The Kerala Women's Commission which accepted a complaint in the case has also not taken any action yet," the WCC stated.
After the complaint surfaced, several women who have worked with Kunhi Muhammed have come out about their experiences of facing sexual harassment from him, the WCC said. The authorities had waited too long to act against him, after the FIR on December 8, while the local body elections and the IFFK were going on. After all that Kunhi Mohammed applied for bail and got it from a sessions court, on the consideration of his advanced age.
"Our government, media and the public have repeatedly said they are with women survivors (Avalkoppam campaign). But when it comes to the practical side of things, the government's lackadaisical approach is unforgivable," the WCC added.