Kochi: The Special Investigation Team on Saturday appointed G Poonguzhali, IPS, AIG Coastal Security, as the nodal officer and primary contact person for survivors seeking protection from threats and intimidation in cases related to the Justice Hema Committee report. The nodal officer will take appropriate action upon receiving requests from survivors and report the actions taken to the City Police Commissioner of Thiruvananthapuram.

The High Court on November 27 ordered the SIT in charge of the probe into the sexual assault complaints in the Malayalam film industry to appoint a nodal officer to prevent intimidation and threatening of the witnesses who appeared before the committee. Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranayanan, appearing on behalf of Women In Cinema Collective (WCC), informed the court that some witnesses who have filed complaints before the SIT have received intimidating calls and are being threatened by the accused and other persons. Considering this, the division bench, including Justice Dr AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice CS Sudha, directed the SIT to appoint a nodal officer.

In its directive, the court instructed the SIT to publicise the name and contact details of the nodal officer. Women and witnesses who are facing threats or hate campaigns related to their sexual assault complaints in the film industry can approach this nodal officer.

The Kerala government constituted the Justice Hema Committee in 2019 to analyse the issues faced by women in the Malayalam cinema industry following a petition by the Women in Cinema Collective in response to the 2017 actor assault case.

'Govt has nothing to hide'
Earlier today, Minister Saji Cherian emphasised that there is nothing to hide about the Justice Hema Committee report and said the government is implementing its recommendations. Addressing the media, he stated that the government had adhered strictly to court directives, omitting only the portions the State Information Commission recommended not to release.

“The matter is currently before the High Court, and there are no objections if the court or the information commission instructs that these portions be made public,” Cherian clarified. “We have disclosed all information directed by the State Information Commission regarding the report, and everything is transparent," he added.

The minister further said the government is implementing the Hema Committee's recommendations, including a film policy. “The government will draft a film policy,” he added.

Dismissing allegations of lapses, Cherian maintained that all actions taken by the government and its officials have been within the bounds of the law.“We have nothing to fear about releasing any part of the report,” he reiterated.

A few journalists have approached the State Information Commission, alleging that five pages and 11 sections were omitted from the Hema Committee report when released under the RTI Act. However, Commission sources said that the panel, which considered the case on Saturday, has not issued any order yet.