A file image of Mahila Congress activists staging a protest demanding a case against the perpetrators named in the Hema Committee report.
Credit: PTI Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: Almost all harassment cases registered on the basis of statements given by women in the Malayalam film industry to the committee headed by retired judge Justice K Hema are being closed as the victims did not want to proceed.
Around 35 cases were registered on the basis of the statements given by many to the committee on the harassment they faced in the film industry.
Already 20 of them were learnt to be closed by submitting the closure reports at court citing that the victims did not want to proceed. The remaining would also be closed soon.
Police sources said that despite issuing notice, all those victims did not want to proceed legally against the accused. Hence there was no other option other than closing the cases.
The Hema committee was formed by the government to study the problems faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. Many women gave statements to the committee on the harassment they faced after the committee assured confidentiality. But the police were forced to take cases as per court directive.
Even as the committee report was kept confidential by the government, the State Information Commission ordered that the report should be made public last year.
Meanwhile, over 50 cases registered on the basis of allegations raised by women in the film industry against known film personalities like actor-MLA M Mukesh, Association of Malayalam Movie Artists former general secretary actor Siddique and actor Jayasurya were still continuing.
Those allegations were made by the victims after the Hema committee report came out last year.