The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted following the release of the Hema Committee Report intends to close all registered cases citing the unwillingness of survivors to proceed, according to the Kerala police. Tasked with investigating allegations of sexual assault detailed in the damning report, the SIT has so far filed chargesheets in 26 cases, but is reportedly unable to continue further investigations without survivor testimonies. The Kerala police have told the court that once survivors agree to record their statements, investigations into the charge-sheeted cases will resume.
A total of 120 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered across various police stations, out of which 35 were filed based on the revelations in the Hema Committee report. Later, in the wake of the report’s release, further survivor disclosures and social media exposés led to the filing of 85 additional cases. Chargesheets were filed against several prominent figures including Mukesh, Maniyanpilla Raju, Ranjith, Siddique, and Jayasurya.
In the meantime, the Kerala High Court appointed a nodal officer to address complaints of sexual harassment, including those raised by women from outside the film industry, until January 31. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court declined to intervene, urging the Kerala Police and the SIT to take appropriate action when a cognisable offence is identified.
The Hema Committee's 300-page report had exposed widespread sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the Malayalam film industry, shedding light on the deep disparities that persist within the system. The redacted version of the report, which was made public on August 19, 2024, had revealed that most women in the industry were reluctant to share their traumatic experiences — particularly incidents of sexual harassment — due to fears of being blacklisted and facing “other harassments.”
