Rape case: Edavela Babu appears before SIT for interrogation

Kochi: A day after recording the arrest of actor and MLA Mukesh in a rape case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has summoned Malayalam actor Edavela Babu for an interrogation in a similar case. He appeared before the SIT at the coastal police headquarters here on Wednesday morning.

Babu is facing charges under IPC sections 354 (sexual assault) and 376 (rape) over a complaint filed by a Kochi-based female actor. The same woman filed a complaint against actors Mukesh, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, Advocate VS Chandrasekharan and production controllers Noble and Vichu.

On September 5, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court granted anticipatory bail to Edavela Babu in the case. Hence, it is assumed that SIT will release him after recording his arrest following the interrogation.

On Tuesday, the SIT led by Ernakulam SP G Poonkuzhali IPS arrested Kollam MLA Mukesh after interrogating him at coastal police headquarters. The probe team took him for a medical examination at Ernakulam Government General Hospital after the arrest. Later, he was released on bail.

Multiple FIRs have been registered against several high-profile Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors, sparked by revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report. The committee was established by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case. The report highlighted instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry. In response to these allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation involving several actors and directors, the state government announced the formation of a seven-member Special Investigation Team on August 25 to investigate the claims.