Malayalam film director charged for sexually assaulting man in Bengaluru

BengaluruA case has been registered against Malayalam film director Ranjith Balakrishnan following a complaint by a 31-year-old man, who alleged that he was sexually assaulted by him at a five-star hotel here, police said on Monday.

In the FIR, the complainant has claimed that he had met the director in Kozhikode in 2012 when he had gone to meet actor Mammootty during the shooting of ‘Bavuttiyude Namathil’, a film written and produced by Balakrishnan.

According to FIR, the complainant alleged that the director then managed to get his phone number and invited him to the hotel near Kempegowda International Airport in December 2012, where he allegedly offered him alcohol and sexually assaulted him.

“The complaint was initially lodged at a police station in Kerala, but the case was transferred to Bengaluru as the alleged incident of sexual assault took place at a five-star hotel here and an FIR has now been registered,” a senior police official said.

“The incident reportedly took place in 2012, but the complainant has now come forward following a series of allegations of sexual harassment by many artistes in the Malayalam film industry, which he claimed gave him the courage to register his complaint,” he said. the official.

“Based on the complaint received, a case was registered at BIAL (Bangalore International Airport Limited) police station on October 26 under Section 377 (unnatural offences) and 66 E (invasion of privacy) of the Information Technology Act against the director and the matter is under investigation,” he said.