BENGALURU: The BIAL police on Saturday registered an FIR against national award-winning Malayalam film director Ranjith Balakrishnan on charges of sexually assaulting a 31-year-old male artist in a hotel located near Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.
The alleged incident is said to have occurred in 2012. The complaint was first filed with the Kasaba police in Kozhikode, Kerala, in August. A Kozhikode-based court granted anticipatory bail to Ranjith on September 9, which was reportedly valid for 30 days. The Kasaba police subsequently transferred the case to the Bengaluru city police, as the alleged offence occurred within the jurisdiction of the BIAL police station.
The BIAL police have registered a case under Section 377 (unnatural offences) IPC and Section 66E (punishment for violation of privacy) of the IT Act.
In his police complaint, the victim claimed that he met Ranjith in 2012 when he visited East Hill in Kerala to meet Malayalam actor Mammootty during the shooting of Bavuttiyude Namathil. He further alleged that Ranjith, after obtaining his phone number, invited him to a hotel in Bengaluru. The accused is alleged to have asked the victim to meet him in a room on the fourth floor of the hotel. Ranjith is accused of forcing the victim to consume alcohol and engaging in alleged oral sexual acts.
"Both the complainant and the director are from Kerala. We need to take further statements from the complainant. Notice will first be served to the complainant. Thereafter, the place of occurrence will be established based on the complainant's statement, and then the investigation will follow," said the police.