SIT drops all 35 cases based on Justice Hema Committee report as no victim gives statement

Malayalam cinema underwent a sea of changes in 2024 after the Justice Hema Committee report was made public. The report gave details of the ingrained practices of sexism and harassment prevailing in the industry. Soon after the report was made public, as many as 35 cases were lodged, which highlighted wrong practices in the Malayalam film industry. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe these cases. But now the SIT has informed the Kerala High Court that it has dropped all those cases.

SIT drops all cases related to Hema Committee report

On Wednesday, the SIT told Kerala HC that it has dropped further action in the 35 cases lodged on the basis of the Justice Hema Committee report, as none of the victims came forward to give their statements.

Based on the new SIT report, a bench of Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and CS Sudha said that no further action was required in the crimes registered by the agency for now. The HC was hearing several pleas seeking action based on the recommendations of the Hema Committee. The new order now puts all the cases to rest.

The court also noted that the state government has scheduled a Film Conclave to be held in the first week of August 2025, and directed that the petitions be listed on August 13 for further consideration.

The Justice Hema Committee was established by the Kerala government following the infamous 2017 assault and kidnapping case on an actress. The committee submitted its report the following year, but it was made public only in 2024, which caused a huge uproar, leading to the dissolution of the all-powerful actors' body of Malayalam cinema.