Malayalam director Ranjith charged with sexual assault in Bengaluru

The Bengaluru police registered an FIR against Malayalam film director Ranjith Balakrishnan following a sexual assault allegation by a 31-year-old man. The case details incidents that reportedly took place in December 2012.
According to the complainant, he met Ranjith on the set of “Bavuttiyude Namathil” at East Hill, Kerala, while trying to meet actor Mammootty. Introduced through director Sajeer Cholayil, the complainant and Ranjith exchanged contact details. Subsequently, Ranjith reportedly invited the complainant to a room on the fourth floor of the Taj Hotel near Bengaluru airport. The complaint alleges that upon arrival, Ranjith offered alcohol and coerced the complainant into undressing, inappropriately touching him, and eventually leading him to a bedroom where he engaged in intimate acts without consent.
The complainant further alleged that Ranjith took compromising photos during the encounter and later used them to issue threats, even implying he would share the images with actress Revathi.
The initial complaint was filed at Kerala’s Kasaba Police Station citing IPC Section 377, which criminalises “unnatural sex” which is “against the order of nature and IT Act Section 66(E), which punishes intentionally or knowingly capturing, publishing or transmitting the image of a private area of any person without their consent, under circumstances violating the privacy of that person.
The case was then transferred to Bengaluru on October 25, 2024, after jurisdictional verification. The Bengaluru police began investigations following the formal registration of the FIR on October 26.