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Kochi, Apr 1 (PTI) A court here on Wednesday sent noted Malayalam film director Ranjith to judicial custody after he was arrested late last night in connection with an attempted sexual assault case. Following his remand, the director claimed that the accusations against him were "false" and that he would be able to prove it. He made the claim before reporters while being taken inside the sub-jail here. Even as the director claimed innocence, state Culture Minister Saji Cherian indicated that the government and the police were with the victim, and the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) recommended suspension of Ranjith's membership from the directors and writers unions. The police said that the victim was "traumatised" by the incident and had to undergo counselling and psychiatric treatment before she could come forward with the complaint. Kochi City Police Commissioner S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said that a Special Investigation Team was formed after recording the victim's statement, and then the allegations were discreetly verified before moving forward with the arrest. "It should not happen to any woman, especially at the workplace," he told reporters here. The officer also said that the director had attempted to remove himself from the area. Kumar also said that the biggest challenge before the police was to maintain the confidentiality of the case and protect the identity of the victim. He also said that there were several witnesses to the alleged sexual assault, as the incident happened on a shooting set. The officer said that the evidence collection was progressing, and the director's custody will be sought when required. FEFKA general secretary B Unnikrishnan told reporters here that there was no complaint made to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in connection with the incident. FEFKA is an association of several craft unions in the Malayalam film industry. Ranjith was taken into custody from the Idukki district on Tuesday evening, and subsequently, his arrest was recorded. He was produced at the residence of a magistrate here in the morning and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. The case against Ranjith was registered by Kochi City Police a few days ago based on the victim's complaint. Earlier in the day, Cherian told reporters that "such acts will not be accepted by the government or the society" and that the government and the police were with the victim. Ranjith was appointed as chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy in 2022 and resigned from the post in 2024. The minister said that the director was appointed to the post because he was qualified for it, and at that time, there were no such allegations against him. "He carried forward the academy in a good way. When such allegations came up earlier, he had left the position. We are viewing the repetition of the same allegations against him seriously. Neither the police nor the government is protecting him," he said. He said that the quick action taken against the director is an outcome of the recent changes in the movie sector, including holding of the cinema conclave and the state film policy. "Let the investigation take its course," he added. The minister also said that anyone in the film sector having similar bad experiences can come forward with a complaint and stand firm on it, as the government will be with them. According to the police, the woman actor alleged that the director had invited her to a caravan during the shooting of a film and attempted to sexually assault her. Ranjith had earlier faced allegations of sexual harassment following revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report on harassment and abuse in the Malayalam film industry. In 2024, a case was registered against Ranjith after a Bengali actress filed a complaint with the Kochi City Police Commissioner. The complaint, sent via email, alleged that Ranjith had touched her inappropriately with sexual intent after inviting her to act in the film Paleri Manikyam in 2009. PTI HMP TGB HMP ADB
In a closed courtroom session, the Rouse Avenue court in Delhi recorded the key witness's testimony in the sexual harassment case involving former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The session, held on Tuesday, lasted over two hours, with further proceedings scheduled for December 10. On Tuesday, the Rouse Avenue court in Delhi heard pivotal testimony behind closed doors from the primary witness in the sexual harassment case involving women wrestlers. Central to the charges is former BJP MP and erstwhile Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Presiding over the ...Read More >
OCCRP had published news articles against Adani; BJP MP Sambit Patra calls Rahul 'traitor of highest order' After a hiatus of two days, the Winter Session of Parliament plunged into chaos again Thursday, this time due to the ruling BJP targeting Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, accusing them of being part of a plan to "derail" India's economy and "disrupt" its democracy. Senior BJP MP Nishikant Dubey raised the matter in the Lok Sabha, alleging that a "dangerous triangle" ...Read More >
Mumbai, Dec 12 (PTI) Malayalam superstar Mohanlal says he will definitely come and work in Hindi movies if filmmakers in Bollywood offer him roles. One of the most influential Malayalam cinema stars, Mohanlal has been part of over 300 films, including all time hits such as "Manichitrathazhu", "Kireedam", "Bharatham", "Drishyam" and "Pulimurugan". "I have done a couple of Hindi films also. But now most of my other films are dubbed into Hindi. When somebody calls me for a role I'll definitely come and work. I don't mind. I don't have a choice. As actors we don't have a choice. Let it come. Let ...Read More >
Bengaluru, June 6 (PTI) Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) President Raghu Ram Bhat and a few other office bearers moved the Karnataka High Court on Friday seeking to quash the FIR filed against them in the Chinnaswamy stadium stampede case. Police on Thursday registered an FIR against RCB, event management firm DNA entertainment private limited, and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Karnataka Chief Minister Siddarmaiah too on Thursday had instructed the state DGP and IGP to immediately arrest the representatives of RCB, DNA entertainment and KSCA in connection with the sta ...Read More >
New Delhi: The first warship in the anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft series, equipped to conduct subsurface surveillance, search and rescue missions, and low-intensity maritime operations, is set to be inducted into the Indian Navy on June 18, officials said on Friday. The commissioning ceremony of 'Arnala' at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam will be presided over by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan. "The warship incorporates more than 80 per cent indigenous content and integrates advanced systems from leading Indian defence firms, including Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), L& ...Read More >
Kota, Jun 6 (PTI) A relationship manager in an ICICI bank branch in Kota allegedly swindled around Rs 4.58 crore from customers' accounts only to lose the lot of it in the stock market, police on Friday said. She was arrested last week and is currently under judicial custody, they said. The accused, Sakshi Gupta, was posted as a relationship manager at ICICI Bank's DCM branch. Police said she had been pilfering from more than 110 accounts belonging to 41 customers for around two and a half years. She allegedly invested these amounts in the stock market and lost a large chunk of it, they sa ...Read More >
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The museum police have arrested three caretakers of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for allegedly injuring a two-and-a-half-year-old child. The accused -- Ajitha, Maheswari, and Sindhu were taken into custody on Tuesday under the POCSO Act and relevant sections of the BNS. The incident reportedly happened when the child was hurt in the genital area as a punishment for urinating on the bed. The injury came to light when the child was being bathed. On noticing it, CWC General ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jan 13 (PTI) The Karnataka High Court has dismissed on Monday an appeal by J Deepak and J Deepa, the legal heirs of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, seeking the release of her assets confiscated in a 2004 disproportionate assets case. Jayalalithaa was convicted by a special court in 2014 for amassing wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income during her tenure from 1991 to 1996. Following her conviction, her properties were confiscated by the authorities. Although she was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court in 2015, then congress government in Karnataka ...Read More >
Kottayam (Kerala,), May 27 (PTI) Sister Anupama, who was the face of protests against former Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal in a rape case, has renounced nunhood and gone back to ordinary life, leaving the Catholic convent. For several years, she had been an inmate of a Kuravilangad-based convent, which is functioning under the Latin Catholic diocese of Jalandhar. A group of nuns, led by Sister Anupama, had fought on behalf of the victim nun who had accused Mulakkal of raping her multiple times. "She renounced nunhood and left the convent some time back," a church source told PTI. Howeve ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram/Chennai, Jun 6 (PTI) Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko's father died in a road accident near Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu on Friday morning when the family was travelling to Bengaluru, police said. According to a senior police officer in Dharmapuri, the actor suffered a fracture to his left arm, while his brother and mother, who were also in the vehicle, and the driver of the car suffered minor injuries. The incident occurred early in the morning on the national highway from Salem to Bengaluru when the vehicle Chacko's family was travelling in tried to overtake a lorry in front ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) The Congress Wednesday said a "cover-up" is in the making after reports claimed entities connected to the Adani Group have approached the SEBI seeking settlement in a case that alleges violations of public shareholding norms through unfair practices. It asserted the "scam" requires serious punitive action, including arrests and raids by investigative agencies. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said a token settlement would make Indian institutions a laughing stock whose reputation has already been tarnished by the actions of Prime Minist ...Read More >
The police have registered a case under the POCSO Act and other relevant sections Haridwar: A former BJP office-bearer in the holy city of Haridwar has been arrested for allegedly allowing her boyfriend and others to sexually abuse her 13-year-old daughter. Sumit Patwal, the woman's partner, has also been arrested, and the police are on the lookout for another accused, said a senior official. The minor had accused her mother of subjecting her to sexual abuse, said Paramendra Doval, Senior Supe ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 6 (PTI) The Kerala Government's decision to change Bakrid holiday triggered a political row in the state on Friday with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) accusing it of attempting to implement "communal agenda and fascism" in the state. Originally Friday (June 6) was marked as holiday for Bakrid. However, following the reports that the festival would be celebrated on Saturday across the state, on Thursday, the Kerala government announced that Saturday, June 7, will be a public holiday for Bakrid. As per the change, government also declared that June 6 (Friday) wou ...Read More >
Srinagar: In a landmark ruling that underscores the judiciary's firm stance against domestic abuse, a Mumbai sessions court has significantly increased the compensation awarded to a woman in a domestic violence case -- from a meagre Rs 5 lakh to a substantial Rs 1 crore. The court observed that the woman's husband, a wealthy businessman running an elevator company, and his family were "crorepatis" and held ample financial means to provide fair restitution. The court observed that the woman's husband, who runs an elevator company, and his family are 'crorepatis'. Besides the compensation, the ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jun 6 (PTI) Karnataka BJP general secretary P Rajeev on Friday said he has filed a police complaint seeking legal action against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D K Shivakumar and Home Minister G Parameshwara for the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people. The stampede occurred on Wednesday evening in front of the Chinnaswamy stadium here, where a large number of people thronged to participate in the RCB team's IPL victory celebrations. Eleven people died and 56 were injured in the incident. Also Read | Bengaluru Stampede: Police Complaint Lodged Against Virat Kohli Over St ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Dec 12 (PTI) Ride-hailing app Uber on Thursday launched 'Uber Moto Women,' a first-of-its-kind service in Bengaluru offering women-only bike rides, the company said. In a statement, Uber said that this on-demand two-wheeler service connects female riders with female drivers and is designed to address women's safety and mobility needs while "empowering female drivers with flexible earning opportunities". "Developed based on feedback from women riders and drivers, Uber Moto Women offers a safe, affordable, and convenient commute option for women who prefer to ride with female driver ...Read More >
Thane, Dec 26 (VOICE) A couple has been arrested in connection with the abduction, rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Thane district. Coming barely after the Badlapur sexual assault on two nursery class girls in August, this is the second case that has sparked outrage with people demanding the noose for the alleged perpetrators - Vishal Gawli, 35 and his wife Sakshi Gawli, 25. Vishal Gawli is accused of kidnapping the girl from near her home, where she was playing on Monday, taking her to his house, assaulting, raping, killing and then dumping her body near a cemetery in ...Read More >
Kochi, Feb 3 (PTI) The opposition Congress-led UDF on Monday intensified its criticism of Union Ministers George Kurian and Suresh Gopi over their recent controversial statements, calling their remarks "immature" and accusing BJP leaders like them of having contempt for Kerala. Addressing reporters here, the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, V D Satheesan, strongly criticised the "backward" remark made by Kurian, the Minister of State for Minorities and Fisheries, on Union Budget day, and stated that Kerala has only sought the funds it rightfully deserves from the centre. Taking a ...Read More >
Srinagar, Jun 7 (PTI) Authorities on Saturday barred Eid prayers from taking place at the Eidgah ground and the Jama Masjid in the old city here, while Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed that he was put under house arrest. "Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar deeply regrets to inform that the authorities have once again disallowed Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the Eidgah as well as at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar by closing the gates of the mosque and deploying police personnel outside," the management of the historic mosque said in a statement. ...Read More >
Mumbai BEST accident: Amid ongoing investigations into the Kurla accident case, the Mumbai police on Tuesday, sought custody of the driver of the electric bus - operated by the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), which led to the death of seven persons, and injured 42 others on December 10. Reportedly, the Mumbai police suspect that the driver, Sanjay More, might have 'deliberately' attacked the people, using the bus as a 'weapon'. A magistrate court has now ruled that More would be under the custody of Mumbai Police until December 21. The Mumbai Police presented San ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the country will not tolerate Babasaheb Ambedkar's insult and demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah should apologise for his remarks in the Rajya Sabha. Several MPs of the INDIA bloc, including Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament premises demanding Shah's apology for his remarks which they claimed were an insult to B R Ambedkar. Sharing pictures from the protest, Gandhi said in a Facebook post in Hindi, "Baba Saheb is the architect of the Constitution, ...Read More >
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday postponed the hearing for businessman Boby Chemmanur's bail application in the sexual harassment case brought by actress Honey Rose to January 14, highlighting the necessity for the state government to submit its response. The court also expressed concerns regarding the urgency of this case and underscored the importance of resolving other outstanding cases. Chemmanur was taken into custody by the Ernakulam Central Police in Wayanad on Wednesday. The Ernakulam First Class Judicial Magistrate Court subsequently remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, Jun 6 (PTI) Gujarat Congress general secretary Rajesh Soni was arrested on Friday and charged under a tough section of the BNS for allegedly uploading "misleading" as well as "morale breaking" content on a social media platform related to 'Operation Sindoor', police said. After registration of an FIR on Thursday, the Cyber Crime Cell of the state CID arrested Soni in the wee hours over his controversial posts on the operation launched by Indian armed forces to destroy terror hubs in Pakistan and PoK, said Superintendent of Police (CID-Cyber Crime) Bharatsinh Tank. During the May 7 ...Read More >
Chennai, Dec 3 (PTI) Danfoss, a leader in heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and compressors has set a target to progressively ramp up local manufacturing capabilities over the next five years, supporting the Centre's Make in India campaign, the company said on Tuesday. Danfoss India, a subsidiary of Denmark-based Danfoss, earlier this year committed to a Rs 500 crore investment aimed at developing local manufacturing for HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air-conditioning), and refrigeration compressors and controls. As the country's heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeratio ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: A day after the Special Investigation Team registered a fresh chargesheet against Kollam MLA Mukesh in a sexual assault case, Kerala State Women's Commission Chairperson Adv. P Satheedevi declared that the law does not mandate the MLA's resignation. Addressing the media on Monday, she explained that, as per the law, a legislator is required to resign only if convicted by the court for a term exceeding two years. At the same time, she added that Mukesh can decide whether to continue as an MLA on ethical grounds. Meanwhile, CPM leader PK Sreemathi said that the government w ...Read More >
Dwarakapudi (Andhra Pradesh), May 18 (PTI) Four children died of suffocation after being trapped inside a parked car in Vizianagaram district, police said on Monday. The children, who were playing outside the house, entered the parked vehicle at around noon on Sunday. "They were unable to exit as the doors of the unlocked car automatically locked after entry," police added. "We believe the car's auto-lock system engaged once the kids got in, trapping them," a police official told PTI, adding that the bodies were discovered six hours later, post-6 pm on Sunday. A case has been registered und ...Read More >
Imphal, June 7 (UNI) Three militants were nabbed in separate incidents during the last 24 hours in Manipur, police said on Saturday. Manipur Police arrested a militant from Moidangpok Awang Leikai from Khumbong Bazar under Imphal West District, they said. Security forces arrested a militant from the Elangkhanpokpi Mayai Leikai area under Kakching district. Security forces apprehended a militant from Wangoo Samushang in Bishnupur district and elected members from Kumbi area. In an operation, one M16 rifle, one bolt-action rifle, three pull-mechanism rifles, three improvised mortars, and fiv ...Read More >
Thrissur(Kerala), Jun 7 (PTI) Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Saturday visited Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko and his mother who were admitted to a private hospital here after sustaining injuries in a car accident a day ago near Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu, in which the actor's father died. The Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism told reporters that Chacko has a fracture in his left arm that requires surgery and his mother has a minor crack on her hip. He said that the actor has decided to undergo the surgery after the funeral of his father which is likely to be held ...Read More >
The PoSH Committee is likely to be officially established after the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce elections on December 14, 2024 More than three months after the Karnataka Sate Commission for Women had directed the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce to set up a Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Committee, the film chamber has approved of the demand. However, the panel hasn't been officially established due to the upcoming elections for office bearers of the chamber. Women's Commission asks film chamber to form PoSH panel Nagalakshmi Chowdhary, the chairperson of the Commission, al ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) A court here on Tuesday extended the police custody of AAP MLA Naresh Balyan by a day in an extortion case lodged last year. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Paras Dalal passed the order on an application filed by the Delhi Police, seeking the custody of the legislator from Delhi's Uttam Nagar Assembly segment for two more days. The court also sought the police's response to a bail application filed by Balyan. It issued notice to the Delhi Police and directed it to file its response by Wednesday when Balyan will be produced before the court. The police claimed ...Read More >