HC to constitute special bench to hear matters on Hema Committee report

NEW DELHI: The

Kerala high court

has decided to form a

special bench

to hear matters related to the

Justice K Hema committee report

that cited instances of

harassment

and

exploitation

of

women

in the Malayalam film industry also known as

Mollywood

, Bar and Bench website reported.
Multiple FIRs have been registered against many high profile film personalities in Kerala following allegations of

sexual harassment

against various directors and actors in the wake of the report.

The committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case.
Following the allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation cropping up against several actors and directors, the state government on August 25 announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team to probe them.

On Wednesday, in a joint appeal, 72 prominent personalities, including author Arundhati Roy, urged Kerala chief minister to enact a law addressing concerns raised by the Justice K Hema Committee report.
The signatories to the appeal include Supreme Court advocates Indira Jaisingh and Vrinda Grover, actors Aparna Sen, Prakash Raj, Swara Bhasker, musician T M Krishna, a few retired bureaucrats and several journalists who have sought a “360-degree approach” from the state government to achieve the objectives for which the committee was set up.
(With agency inputs)