Ernakulam:The Kerala High Court has quashed the sexual harassment case filed against renowned Malayalam filmmaker and former Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Chairman Ranjith Balakrishnan, ruling that the complaint was legally time-barred as it was filed nearly 15 years after the alleged incident.
The court accepted Ranjith’s argument that the complaint, lodged by a Bengali actress, was filed well beyond the statutory period of limitation prescribed under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
Background of the Case:
The complainant, a Bengali actress, alleged that Ranjith had misbehaved with her in 2009 at a flat in Kochi, under the pretext of discussing a role in his acclaimed film “Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha.” According to her, the director attempted to touch her inappropriately, prompting her to withdraw from the film project.
Filing of Complaint:
Despite the alleged incident taking place in 2009, the First Information Report (FIR) was registered by the Ernakulam North Police only in 2024, marking a delay of around 15 years.
Legal Argument and Court’s Reasoning:
Ranjith’s legal counsel argued that the complaint was unsustainable because the offences listed in the FIR—under Sections 354 (Assault or use of criminal force to outrage modesty) and 509 (Insulting the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)—carry limited periods of prosecution under the CrPC.
At the time of the alleged incident, these offences carried maximum punishments of three years or less, meaning that any complaint should have been filed within three years of the occurrence. Since the FIR was lodged after a 15-year gap, the Magistrate Court was legally barred from taking cognisance of the complaint.
High Court Verdict:
The Kerala High Court agreed with this contention, ruling that the criminal proceedings were time-barred and that the Magistrate had no jurisdiction to proceed further. Consequently, the High Court quashed the case against Ranjith.
Context and Previous Controversies:
The allegation against Ranjith resurfaced following the findings of the K. Hema Committee Report, which investigated issues related to workplace harassment and gender bias in the Malayalam film industry. The controversy surrounding the complaint had previously led Ranjith to resign as Chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.
Notably, this is not the first time Ranjith has received judicial relief in such cases. Earlier this year, the Karnataka High Court had also quashed a separate sexual assault case filed by a male actor, citing factual inconsistencies and unreasonable delay in filing the complaint.
With this latest ruling, all pending legal cases related to sexual misconduct against the filmmaker have now been dismissed by the courts.
