Witness changes statement; police planning to drop legal proceedings against Jayasurya and Balachandra Menon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police are preparing to drop the legal proceedings against actors Jayasurya and Balachandra Menon in the cases that were registered based on the revelations made by an actress. Investigators have cited a lack of concrete evidence and inconsistent witness statements as the reasons behind the possible closure of the case. A final decision on formally clearing the two actors is expected soon from the special investigation team.

The complainant had alleged that Jayasurya and Balachandra Menon had harassed her during the filming of the 2008 movie 'Dhe Ingottu Nokkiye.' She alleged that Jayasurya behaved inappropriately towards her near a toilet at the Secretariat during the shoot. Acting on her complaint, the police had initially booked Jayasurya and Balachandra Menon under sexual assault charges.

However, official records confirm that while filming did take place on the Secretariat premises, no permission was granted for entry into interior rooms or offices. Moreover, the toilet in question was later demolished and replaced with the office of the Forest Minister, making it difficult for the complainant to identify the exact location of the alleged incident. With no eyewitness accounts or supporting circumstantial evidence, the case has lost traction. Investigators have found only the complainant’s confidential statement and the fact that she and Jayasurya worked on the same film as possibly relevant.

The complaint against Balachandra Menon claimed that he called the actress to a hotel room in Vanchiyoor and behaved inappropriately. Although the police confirmed that Menon had stayed at the said hotel, they found no evidence proving that the actress had visited the location. Due to the passage of time, digital evidence such as CCTV footage and mobile location data is unavailable. Furthermore, a junior artist named as a witness by the complainant retracted her statement, claiming she had not witnessed any incident, further weakening the case.

Given the lack of corroboration and physical evidence, the police are now leaning towards concluding the investigation and dropping the charges against both actors.