Actor Jayasurya.
Credit: Insta/@actor_jayasurya
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala police have registered a second sexual assault case against Malayalam film actor Jayasurya within a span of 48 hours, following a fresh complaint from a woman actor alleging sexual misconduct, in addition to the existing case registered against him on August 28. Filmmaker Ranjith is also likely to face another case for sexually abusing a youth in a hotel in Bengaluru.
The National Commission for Women has also asked the Kerala government to submit the entire report of the Justice Hema committee on issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry in a week.
The sex scandals in the Malayalam film industry is becoming a major embarrassment for the CPI(M) as differences within the party over sexual assault case accused actor M Mukesh continuing as MLA are coming out in the open.
The fresh case against Jayasurya was registered on the basis of the allegation of an actor hailing from Thiruvananthapuram that Jayasurya sexually assaulted her during a film shooting at Thodupuzha in Idukki district in 2013.
Fresh case is also likely against filmmaker Ranjith as a 33-year-old man hailing from Kozhikode alleged that the director sexually abused him at a hotel in Bengaluru in 2012 when he approached for a role in films. The police was learnt to have recorded his statement and the probe might be handed over to the Bengaluru police.
Meanwhile, the actor who raised sexual allegations against seven persons, including Mukesh, gave a statement before a magistrate in Kochi on Friday.
The state continued to witness strong protests on Friday also seeking resignation of Mukesh as MLA. A group of women activists have also threatened to launch a sit-in protest in front of CPI(M) state headquarters, AKG centre, demanding his resignation.
The differences within the CPI(M) over shielding Mukesh's MLA post also came out as the party politburo member Brinda Karat flayed the stand.
In an article on the Hema committee report, Karat hailed the left-front government for registering case even against its own MLA, but indicated that the party should not follow the Congress' line of protecting itsMLA's involved in sexual assault case.
"We should not get into a diversionary — what is called in Hindi, a “tu-tu-main-main” (you did this and I did that) sort of useless argument. The focus is and must be to provide a safe environment for women everywhere," she said in an article.