Kochi: CPI-M legislator-cum-actor Mukesh was arrested after a three-hour questioning by the SIT Tuesday in a case registered against him on a complaint by a former actress accusing him of sexual abuse several years back, but released on bail as per court orders.
Mukesh, accompanied by his lawyer, presented himself before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe all cases related to revelations made by actresses in the wake of the release of the Justice Hema Committee report on the conditions of women in the Malayalam industry.
After three hours, his arrest was recorded and then he was taken for the mandatory medical examination and was let off.
Earlier this month, a lower court here had granted anticipatory bail to Mukesh. It had asked him to cooperate with the investigation team and held that if an arrest has to be recorded, then he should be granted bail.
The Malayalam film industry has been in turmoil ever since the August 19 release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which made explosive revelations of sexual harassment, triggering a storm of complaints against top film personalities.
Kerala Police have so far registered FIRs against 11 people, ten of which are from the film industry based on the complaints from women. Those who are in the dock are actors Mukesh, Nivin Pauly, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, and Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and V.K. Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble. Actor Baburaj and director Tulasidas have been named in complaints too, but no FIRs have been registered against them so far.
Some of the accused have managed to obtain relief from the courts.
Incidentally, the arrest of Mukesh came hours after the Kerala High Court denied anticipatory bail to actor Siddique and soon after that the probe team has been out to arrest the actor but is yet to trace him.
Last week, leading director Prakash also was arrested and let off as he had secured anticipatory bail after a young woman writer complained that she was sexually harassed by him years back.