Thiruvananthapuram: In response to growing opposition and public outcry, the Kerala government on Monday assigned the female officers of the Special Investigations Team (SIT) to lead the probe into the mistreatment of women in the Malayalam film industry. The seven-member special team, guided by IG Sparjan Kumar, includes four women officers.

According to the new directive, women cops will handle witness statements and evidence collection, while male officers will assist them with other tasks. However, the team is still uncertain whether it should also investigate the testimonies mentioned in the recently released Hema Committee report.

Earlier, the opposition had intensified protests, demanding an all-woman team for the probe. They argued that most of the complainants are women who are already hesitant to come forward, in fear of the future of their careers and doubts about receiving justice. Thus a team of women officers would be better to handle these sensitive cases, offering support and encouraging survivors to file complaints, said the protestors.

In addition to IG Sparjan Kumar, the special team includes Crime Branch ADGP H Venkatesh, IG S Ajeetha Begum, Crime Branch Head Quarters SP Merin Joseph, Coastal Police AIG Poonkuzhali, Kerala Police Academy Assistant Director Aishwarya Dongre, AIG Ajith V and Crime Branch SP S Madhusoodhan. The female officers have already started talking to the survivors, said sources.

The Justice Hema Commission, established by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case, uncovered widespread harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam film industry. This has led to calls for action against those responsible.

The industry was further shaken on Sunday by the resignations of two high-profile figures. Director Ranjith stepped down as Chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, and actor Siddique resigned as General Secretary of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists). Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra accused Ranjith of misconduct during the discussion of the film Paleri Manikyam, while junior artist Revathy Sampath reiterated her sexual assault allegations against Siddique, prompting his resignation.

On Monday, several other women actors came forward with sexual abuse allegations against senior actors Maniyanpilla Raju, Jayasurya, Baburaj, and actor-politician Mukesh.