Malayalam director Ranjith Balakrishnan faces FIR for allegedly sexually assaulting man at 5-star hotel near Bengaluru airport

A sexual assault case has been registered against prominent Malayalam film director Ranjith Balakrishnan following a complaint from a 31-year-old man. The complainant alleges that the director assaulted him at a five-star hotel near Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru back in December 2012. The FIR states that the complainant first met Balakrishnan on a film set in Kozhikode during the shooting of Bavuttiyude Namathil, a movie written and produced by the director, Press Trust of India reported.

During this interaction, Balakrishnan reportedly obtained the man’s contact information. Later, the director invited him to a hotel near the airport, where the assault allegedly occurred after offering the complainant alcohol.
Initially, the complaint was lodged with the Kerala police, but the investigation was transferred to Bengaluru since the alleged assault took place in Karnataka. As a result, the Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL) police station officially registered the case on October 26.


Authorities have charged Balakrishnan under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to unnatural offenses, and Section 66E of the Information Technology Act, relating to privacy violations.

The complainant revealed that he felt compelled to come forward only recently, citing inspiration from others in the Malayalam film industry who have begun sharing their experiences of harassment.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government informed the High Court on Monday about several legal actions taken following the findings of the Justice Hema Committee report, which examined the working conditions of women in the Malayalam film industry. According to the state government, 26 FIRs have been registered based on the report’s findings.

The Justice Hema Committee report, built on testimonies from 51 industry professionals, highlights disturbing instances of exploitation and harassment. It exposes the prevalence of casting couches, inadequate working conditions, and the systemic mistreatment of women in the film industry. In response, a special investigation team (SIT) was established to address these concerns. The SIT is now conducting ten preliminary inquiries, along with investigations into four other active cases.