Top 10 Bombshell Updates in Mollywood #MeToo Scandal

New Delhi: In a shocking development, Kerala’s Maradu police have registered a rape case against actor and ruling CPIM MLA, M Mukesh. This complaint comes from fellow actor Minu Muneer, who has also leveled accusations of sexual harassment against actor Jayasurya. Notably, the charges in both cases are non-bailable.

Key Points in This Developing Story:

1. The allegations against Mukesh and Jayasurya are part of a larger wave of sexual assault claims targeting senior Malayalam actors. This wave began after a committee’s report on sexual abuse in the industry was released.
2. Mukesh has strongly denied Minu Muneer’s accusation. He stated in a Facebook post that she approached him in both 2009 and 2022 for money, demanding “at least Rs 1 lakh,” which he refused to pay. Mukesh called her allegations an attempt at blackmail.
3. Besides Mukesh, Minu Muneer has also accused actors M Maniyanpilla Raju and Edavela Babu of rape. These cases are under investigation in Fort Kochi and Ernakulam (North). Muneer claims that Babu assaulted her in exchange for membership in AMMA, a Malayalam actors’ association. Raju has dismissed the allegations as having “vested interests.”
4. Ranjith Balakrishnan was one of the first to be implicated in this wave of #MeToo cases. He resigned as Chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy following accusations of sexually assaulting Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra in 2009 and allegedly sexually abusing a male actor in 2012.
5. Sreelekha Mitra stated that the issue of sexual abuse in the industry is a well-known problem, highlighting that it has unfortunately become normalized.
6. A junior actor, who prefers to remain anonymous, has accused award-winning actor Baburaj of rape. She stated that Baburaj lured her to his home under the pretense of offering a film role and then assaulted her. Baburaj has denied these allegations.
7. On Sunday, actor Siddique resigned as General Secretary of AMMA after being accused of raping actor Revathy Sampath in 2016. Siddique has since filed a counter-complaint.
8. Senior actor and AMMA President Mohanlal announced his resignation on Tuesday. Several executive committee members also resigned, citing “moral responsibility” in light of the allegations against them.
9. Actor and producer Sandra Thomas recounted her humiliation before the Kerala Film Producers’ Association. She said, “I stood there facing prying eyes and smirks…” This incident occurred after she demanded better working conditions for women.
10. In Bengal, the situation has also been dire. Violent protests erupted following the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital. Women actors have urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to establish a panel for investigating similar claims. The Women’s Forum for Screen Workers has called for enhanced safety measures at workplaces.

Stay tuned to India Press Live for more updates on this developing story.