“Malayalam Actors Jayasurya and Baburaj Approach Kerala High Court for Anticipatory Bail in Sexual Harassment Cases”
Malayalam film actors Jayasurya and Baburaj have filed anticipatory bail petitions with the Kerala High Court following accusations of sexual harassment【Jayasurya v. State of Kerala & Anr】and【Baburaj v. State of Kerala & Anr】.
These allegations come in the wake of the Justice Hema Committee report, which revealed widespread issues like the casting couch and sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry. The committee, established by the Kerala government in 2017 after a petition by the ‘Women in Cinema Collective,’ was tasked with examining the working conditions of women in the industry.
Since the release of the report, several women have spoken out about their negative experiences within the Malayalam cinema world.
Jayasurya has been accused by a female actor of sexually harassing her during the filming of the movie Pigman. The complainant alleges that he grabbed her from behind and kissed her on set, later apologizing when she became upset. Jayasurya has been charged under Sections 354 (assault with intent to outrage modesty), 354A(1)(i) (physical contact and unwelcome advances), and 354D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In his petition, Jayasurya points out that the complainant claims the incident occurred in 2012 or 2013, but the film Pigman was completed by the end of 2011. He also highlights the 13-year delay in filing the complaint and asserts that no signed statement was provided by the woman to police or a magistrate. Jayasurya argues that the police did not verify the truth of the allegations before registering the case, causing damage to his reputation. He contends that the complaint is frivolous and intended to seek publicity, seeking anticipatory bail as a result.
Baburaj faces allegations of sexually harassing a resort staff member in 2018 and 2019, at a Munnar property he owns. The actor is charged under Sections 376(2)(n) (punishment for repeated rape), 354A(1)(i), and 354A(1)(ii) (demanding sexual favors) of the IPC, based on an FIR filed at Adimali police station.
In his defense, Baburaj maintains that the relationship was consensual and claims to possess evidence, including messages between him and the complainant, that support this. He argues that the complaint is an attempt to exploit the situation stirred up by the Hema Committee report.
Both actors have filed their anticipatory bail petitions through a team of advocates including S Rajeev, V Vinay, MS Ameer, Sarath KP, Prerith Philip Joseph, Anilkumar CR, and KS Kiran Krishnan.
