Kerala: Chargesheet filed against actor-politician Mukesh in sexual assault case
What's the story
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has filed a chargesheet against Malayalam actor and CPI(M) MLA M Mukesh, accusing him of sexual assault.
The chargesheet was filed at the Ernakulam Judicial Magistrate Court on Sunday, using digital evidence to back the allegations.
The case pertains to accusations that Mukesh sexually assaulted a woman by promising her membership in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).
Case background
Evidence and charges against Mukesh detailed
Maradu police registered the case on the basis of a complaint filed by actor Minu Muneer.
The FIR reportedly contains charges under IPC's Section 376 (rape), Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), and Section 509 (insult the modesty of a woman by word, sound, gesture, or object).
Investigation progress
Digital evidence and witness statements bolster the case
As part of the digital evidence, the SIT has submitted WhatsApp chats and email messages exchanged between Mukesh and the complainant.
Apart from this, they have also collected circumstantial evidence and witness statements to strengthen their case.
Last year in August, Mukesh's lawyer Geo Paul had said that his client was willing to cooperate with the police investigation into these allegations.
Industry revelations
Justice Hema Committee report and its impact
The case against Mukesh has resurfaced as the groundbreaking Justice Hema Committee report revealed rampant harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam film industry.
The report, submitted in 2019 and made public only recently, claims the industry is run by a handful of male producers, directors and actors.
Since its release, several actors have been accused of sexual harassment.