KOCHI: Bengali film actress Sreelekha Mitra has filed a police complaint against director Ranjith. The actress complained that Ranjith tried to sexually assault her in a flat in Kadavantra, Kochi. The complaint given to the Kochi City Police Commissioner says that Ranjith touched Sreelekha Mitra with sexual intent. The actress filed a police complaint after she said that legal action would be taken against Ranjith.
Sreelekha Mitra has given a complaint to Kochi City Commissioner through email. She also stated that she informed Joshy Joseph about the assault. The actress wants to take criminal legal action against the director. Ranjith had resigned from the post of state Chalachitra Academy chairman after the actress' revelation. The actress had said that she was invited to act in the film Paleri Manikyam and she went to the flat in Kadavantra to discuss the film.
The actress had said that after first touching her hand, Ranjith tried to touch other parts of her body with sexual intent. Following this, she stopped Ranjith and went to the flat where she lives. Sreelekha Mitra had revealed that she communicated this information to the film's screenwriter Joshy Joseph and that she was not even provided with a return flight ticket.
After the Hema Committee report, many actresses came forward by making revelations regarding sexual exploitation in the film industry. Subsequently, the state government appointed a special investigation team to investigate the incident. The team led by Sparjan Kumar IPS includes four women IPS officers as well. The chief minister has instructed that a case will be registered and a preliminary investigation will be conducted if those who have made disclosures approach the investigation team with a complaint.