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In a scandal that has shaken the Malayalam film industry, actor-politician M Mukesh along with three other prominent actors have been booked in cases of rape and sexual assault, sparking a fierce political debate and calls for the ruling party MLA's resignation.
Amid intense protests by the Opposition and demands from a section of Left party members for his resignation, Mukesh obtained relief from a court in Kochi, which granted him protection from arrest until September 3.
The ruling Left and the embattled MLA faced further trouble when senior Communist Party of India leader Annie Raja called for Mukesh's resignation as an MLA, after he was booked for rape following a complaint by a female actor.
As pressure mounted, the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front seemed to be supporting Mukesh, taking a cautious wait-and-watch stance.
LDF convener EP Jayarajan told reporters that earlier, much bigger sexual assault cases were registered against two other MLAs who had not resigned.
He was referring to Congress MLAs M Vincent and Eldhose Kunnappilly.
"Had they resigned, then the third MLA (Mukesh) too would have to resign. The law is applicable equally to all legislators. By asking for Mukesh's resignation, you are protecting the other two," he said.
The Justice K Hema Committee report's findings had a ripple effect, resulting in the registration of cases against two other prominent actors--Jayasurya and Maniyanpilla Raju, and Idavela Babu, a small-time actor who held a key role in the actors' association-- on sexual assault charges.
The complainant, who has appeared in a few films, levelled allegations against four actors, a politician, and two others connected to the film production industry.
In a Facebook post, the female actor had said, "I am writing to report a series of incidents of physical and verbal abuse I suffered at the hands of 1 Mukesh 2 Maniyan Pilla Raju, 3 Idavela Babu, 4 Jayasoorya (Jayasurya), 5 adv Chandrasekaran, 6 production controller Noble and Vichu, in the Malayalam film industry."
"In 2013, I was subjected to physical and verbal abuse by these individuals while working on a project. I tried to cooperate and continue working, but the abuse became unbearable," the actress alleged.
A rape case was registered on Wednesday night against Mukesh following the female actor's allegation that he sexually assaulted her in 2010. Soon, Mukesh moved the court in Kochi seeking anticipatory bail.
Granting interim relief to the actor-politician, the Principal Sessions Court stated that the likelihood of the actor fleeing from the law is low.
"Taking note of the situation that there may not be chances to flee away from the clutches of law, the IO (investigating officer) is directed that the petitioner shall not be arrested till 3/9/24," the court said in its order.
In his anticipatory bail plea, the actor claimed that the statement given against him by the victim was with malafide intentions.
He claimed that the case was registered with ulterior motives and to tarnish his political and film career.
The anticipatory bail came at a time when the opposition was clamouring for the resignation of Mukesh as a legislator.
The day witnessed the workers of the Congress and the BJP holding protests outside his residence in Thiruvananthapuram and other parts of the state.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan said it was wrong to say that the Congress did not seek the resignation of Mukesh.
"Right at the beginning, we sought his resignation. We only said that he and the CPI-M have to take a decision regarding that," the Opposition Leader told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
Satheesan slammed the Left government, alleging that the Pinarayi Vijayan-led dispensation sat on the Justice Hema Committee report for over four years to prevent disclosure of the culprits' names.
He claimed that the state government's inaction on the report's recommendations and findings was destroying the film industry.
"The CPI-M is in the dock on these issues," he said.
Satheesan added that protests were held in various parts of the state by his party, Mahila Congress, and the Youth Congress, demanding Mukesh's resignation.
Some Youth Congress workers allegedly jumped over the barricades outside Mukesh's residence in Thiruvananthapuram and were taken into custody by the police.
In Kollam, the BJP's youth wing, Yuva Morcha, held a protest march, where one protester wore face mask of Mukesh and held a chicken in both hands. In Malayalam, Kozhi (chicken) is a colloquial term for a man who behaves inappropriately with women.
FIRs against Mukesh and other actors came a day after actor Sidhique was booked for allegedly raping an actress in a hotel eight years ago.
The complaints against various directors and actors surfaced following revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report, which contained explosive allegations from female actors regarding sexual abuse by their male counterparts in the Malayalam cinema industry.
The first case, under IPC Section 354, was against director Ranjith, who was accused by a female actor from West Bengal of assaulting her in 2009. Ranjith resigned as chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy following the allegation.
Sidhique also resigned as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists after allegations surfaced against him.
The Justice Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case, and its report revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.