Malayalam actor-turned-CPI-M MLA Mukesh, accused of rape by a former actress whose complaint led to a police case, got interim relief from arrest on Thursday. The Kochi court granted him protection from arrest till September 3.
Mukesh, who has maintained incommunicado since accusations cropped up, sought anticipatory bail from Ernakulam District and Sessions court.
This controversy erupted over Mukesh, along with a few other film actors and directors, in the wake of an alleged charge of sexual exploitation by more than one actress. The charges came against the backdrop of the Justice K Hema Committee Report that revealed horrid sexual abuse and discrimination against women in the industry.
An FIR was registered against Mukesh after the former actress's statements were recorded by a special police team on Wednesday. Mukesh has been booked under sections 376 of the IPC.
The Justice K. Hema (retd) Committee was constituted by the Kerala government in 2017 after the 'Women in Cinema Collective' filed a petition highlighting the problems that women faced in the film industry. Though the report was submitted in 2019, it has only been released now- on August 19-after a long-drawn and arduous battle through courts, with personal information redacted to keep the identity of witnesses anonymous.
The opposition Congress and BJP have held demonstrations demanding Mukesh's resignation over the charges, but so far the CPI-M has refused to yield to these demands.
Mukesh's counsel on Thursday contended that they have evidence to prove that the complainant was trying to extort money from Mukesh, who is a household name in Kerala.
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