Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan, who continues to be in police custody, has faced a setback in his sexual assault case after his lawyer, Mohammed Siyad, quit the case. Siyad will no longer represent him in the ongoing sexual assault case, and has also informed Ranjith`s family to look for a new counsel.
Ranjith`s lawyer quits the case
Notably, Mohammed Siyad faced criticism for also being a member of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) for the film, on which the incident occurred. Siyad announced his decision to quit the case and revealed that he has asked the filmmaker’s family to hire another lawyer ahead of the upcoming bail proceedings.
The lawyer reportedly told OnManorama, “As the legal advisor to numerous production houses, I have been a member of several Internal Complaints Committees, including the ICC for the film cited in this case. It is important to note that the complainant never raised any allegations of harassment during the shooting, nor did she ever approach the ICC.”
Siyad’s resignation came hours after he filed a bail plea on Ranjit’s behalf. The plea reportedly claims that the actress filed a harassment case because of disagreements between her and the filmmaker during the shoot.
About sexual assault allegations against Ranjith
Earlier this week, Ranjith was taken into police custody after a woman actor accused the filmmaker of attempting to sexually assault her on a film set. According to police, a complaint was filed with Kochi City Police. The woman claimed that Ranjith lured her into a caravan during a shoot and tried to sexually assault her, encouraging immediate action from authorities.
Talking about the case, Kochi City Police Commissioner S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar shared that a Special Investigation Team was formed after the actress filed a complaint. He also revealed that the allegations were discreetly verified before Ranjith was arrested. “It should not happen to any woman, especially at the workplace,” he said.
Following the complaint, Ranjith was arrested and then sent to 14-day police custody. Recently, the WCC also issued a long statement calling the allegations against Ranjith ‘grave’. They also questioned the industry’s power structures and criticised the showbiz world.
