'Cannot identify the hotel', says youth in harassment complaint against Director Ranjith

BENGALURU: The investigation into the harassment allegations against film director Ranjith has moved to the Taj Hotels in Bengaluru, where evidence will be gathered in the coming days. On Monday, investigators recorded the complainant's statement, in which he recounted the incident that allegedly took place nine years ago. However, due to the time elapsed, he was unable to recall the specific Taj Hotel location where the incident occurred.

To address this, the investigation team has decided to take the complainant to each of the four Taj Hotels in Bengaluru to help him identify the site. After this process is complete, a formal notice will be issued to Ranjith, requiring him to appear for questioning.

The complainant, a young man seeking a break in the film industry, alleges that he was subjected to sexual harassment by Ranjith. He claims that during their initial meeting, Ranjith gave him a phone number on a tissue paper, instructing him to send a message and later meet him at a Taj Hotel in Bengaluru two days afterward. According to the complaint, when he arrived at the hotel around 10 pm, Ranjith directed him to enter the hotel room via a back entrance, where he was coerced into consuming alcohol, stripped and subjected to mistreatment.

In his statement, the complainant also alleged that Ranjith made him pose naked and that he witnessed Ranjith in a video call with an actress named Revathi. The young man noted, however, that he was uncertain if Ranjith and Revathi shared a personal connection.