Kochi: The Kerala High Court has refused to interfere with a lower court order and directed filmmaker Major Ravi to face trial in a sexual harassment case filed by a journalist in the state.   Justice P V Kunhikrishnan, in an August 12 order, dismissed the petition of Ravi challenging the decision of an Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court. 

The High Court upheld the magistrate court's order taking cognizance under Section 354A IPC (Sexual harassment) and Section 120(O) of Kerala Police Act and asked the moviemaker to surrender before the jurisdictional court to face trial in accordance with law. The court noted that the petitioner (Ravi) was an army officer and is a celebrity and it was the duty of such people to be careful while making speeches and statements.  

"The common people will usually watch them and their words. While making speech and statements, it is the duty of such people to be careful. Facing trial in this case is an opportunity to the petitioner to prove his innocence. If the petitioner is sure that no offence is committed by him, he should prove it before jurisdictional court instead of rushing to the High Court to invoke the extraordinary jurisdiction under Section 482 Cr.P.C," the high court said. 

The matter pertains to a speech made by Ravi in 2016 in which he allegedly made derogatory comments against a senior journalist of a prominent Malayalam TV channel.