The special investigation team (SIT) looking into sexual abuse claims within the Malayalam film industry has interviewed a Kozhikode resident who accused director Ranjith of sexual misconduct. The individual reported that Ranjith abused him at a five-star hotel in Bengaluru back in 2012 and submitted his complaint on Wednesday.
According to the youth, he first encountered Ranjith at the filming location of Bavuttiyide Namathil in 2012. Ranjith allegedly gave him his phone number and later invited him to Bengaluru. The SIT team, including Aishwarya Dongre from the Kerala Police Academy, took his statement at the Maloorkunnu AR camp.
The complainant claimed that Ranjith invited him to his hotel room, where he was offered a drink and then pressured into undressing and being sexually abused. The youth also alleged that Ranjith took nude photographs of him and claimed he sent them to a female actor in the Malayalam film industry. On Friday, the complainant stated that he had provided evidence to support his allegations.
Additionally, the probe team recorded a statement from a junior artist who accused Edavela Babu of inappropriate behavior.