KOCHI: After registering FIRs against those accused of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry, the police have now moved on to the next stage of tracing and identifying witnesses who would be crucial in the investigation.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the sexual harassment cases has approached some of the witnesses identified so far to verify the allegations raised against film personalities.
Currently, 18 cases have been registered in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki and Kozhikode based on the complaints. Eight cases are registered in Kochi, against directors Ranjith and Sreekumar Menon, actors Mukesh, Edavala Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, production executives Noble and Vichu, and lawyer Chandrasekhar.
Of these, six cases, including the one against Mukesh, were filed on the complaints filed by an actress who has worked in Malayalam and Tamil films. According to sources, police have identified some of those who attended the events in which Mukesh and the complainant had taken part in 2009. Apart from this, police are also collecting information about Mukesh’s neighbours and the security persons at his villa in Maradu, where the woman alleged that she was sexually harassed.
On Saturday, police along with the complainant had visited Mukesh’s villa as part of evidence collection. Police will also record the statements of people in the film industry, after which a decision on making them witnesses will be taken.
“Based on the statement given by survivor, we have identified a couple of people who can be turned witnesses in Mukesh’s case. We have asked them to give statements as witnesses in the case. Identifying witnesses is crucial in these cases. As these incidents had occurred several years back, identifying witnesses and collecting evidence are a daunting task,” said a source.
Possibility of getting adequate digital evidence low, say police
The police visited hotels, apartments and resorts in Kochi, where the actress was allegedly molested by other accused, including Edavela Babu and Maniyanpilla Raju.
The probe team has started identifying managers and other employees who worked at these hotels and resorts when the alleged incidents occurred. Once identified, their statements will be recorded. The same actress has also accused actor Jayasurya of sexual misconduct during a shooting at the secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. The police team has requested details regarding the shooting at the secretariat from authorities.
As part of the probe into the molestation case against director Ranjith, which was registered on the complaint of a Bengali actress, the police visited an apartment on Thammanam-Pullepady Road in Kochi last week. The police are trying to trace the visitors’ registers maintained at the apartment. The team has also spoken to residents’ association members in the apartment as part of the investigation.
Police will also check for electronic evidence, including chats and e-mail communication between accused persons and the victims, as part of the case. The mobile phones of the accused persons will be checked after seizing them.
However, as the alleged incidents took place years ago, the possibility of getting adequate digital evidence is low, police sources said.
“As most of the accused persons have approached the court seeking anticipatory bail, their interrogation would be possible after their petitions are disposed. However, we are working on evidence collection and identifying witnesses now. The investigation will be in full swing once the accused persons are questioned,” sources said.