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Kerala Magistrate Grants Bail to Filmmaker Ranjith in Sexual Harassment Case

The order prioritizes witness protection over unrestricted release.

Overview

  • The Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate granted bail Friday with conditions meant to prevent interference with witnesses and safeguard the investigation.
  • Police arrested Ranjith on March 31 after an FIR at the Ernakulam Vanitha Cell cited Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections on sexual harassment, assault to outrage modesty, insults to a woman’s modesty, and wrongful confinement.
  • The complaint came from a young actor who alleged inappropriate conduct at a film set, and the production’s Internal Complaints Committee first reviewed it before forwarding it to police.
  • Prosecutors opposed release, warning he could pressure witnesses and reporting that custodial questioning stalled when he refused prescribed medicines.
  • Two earlier cases against the director were closed by the Kerala and Karnataka High Courts in 2025, shaping scrutiny of how the current probe protects those involved.