Bengaluru police to probe into youth's sexual assault complaint against director Ranjith

Kozhikode: Bengaluru police will probe into the sexual assault case registered against filmmaker Ranjith over a complaint filed by a youth from Mankavu here. Kasaba police here decided to hand over the case to the Karnataka police as crime occurred in a Bengaluru hotel.

In the complaint before the Kasaba police, the youth alleged that the popular director sexually assaulted him and clicked his nude photos at a hotel in Bengaluru in 2012. Kasaba police registered the case over this complaint on August 31. The Special Investigation Team formed to probe sexual offences in the Malayalam film industry also recorded the complainant's statement. 

Kasaba police slapped charges including IPC section 377 (punishment for unnatural sex) and various other sections under the Information Technology Act. The man claimed he was acquainted with Ranjith during the shooting of Mammootty-starrer 'Bavuttiyude Namathil' in Kozhikode. He also accused the director of sending his nude photos to actress Revathy. 

Ranjith is also facing sexual assault charges in a complaint filed by a Bengali female actor. Though he approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail in the case, the court dismissed his plea after the police said that only bailable charges were slapped against him.

A case under section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC was registered against Ranjith over the woman's complaint. She alleged that the director had touched her inappropriately with sexual intent after inviting her to act in the movie 'Paleri Manikyam' in 2009. Ranjith resigned from the post of Kerala Chalachitra academy chairman after the female actor accused him of inappropriately touching her.
(With PTI inputs)