Bengaluru police book Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith on charge of sexually assaulting a man

In his complaint, the man said he met Ranjith in 2012 at East Hill in Kerala’s Kozhikode city. The purpose of his visit was to meet actor Mammootty during the shoot of Bavuttiyude Namathil, a film written and produced by Ranjith.

Ranjith then collected the complainant’s contact number and invited him to a luxury hotel near Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport.

“He offered me alcohol and sexually assaulted me. He forced me to engage in oral sex,” the complainant said, adding that Ranjith took photos and a video of the alleged sexual assault. He is also alleged to have sent the photos and video to an actress. The complaint was first lodged with the Kasaba police in Kozhikode in the last week of August.

On September 9, the Kozhikode Principal Sessions Court granted anticipatory bail to Ranjith in the case. The bail was valid for 30 days.

Also in August, a Bengali actress accused Ranjith of misbehaviour during the casting process of his 2009 Malayalam film Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha and lodged a complaint with the Kochi city police. Although Ranjith denied the allegations, he was compelled to resign as head of the government-run Kerala Chalachitra Academy.