Kochi, Sep 24 (PTI) A Kerala court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to CPI(M) MLA and actor M Mukesh in a second case of sexual assault lodged against him in connection with an incident that occurred in Wadakkanchery in Thrissur district in 2010.
Ernakulam District and Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese granted relief to the actor.
Details of the order are not available yet.
According to the police, the complainant in the second case is the same female actor on whose complaint a rape case has been lodged against him at Maradu police station here.
With his anticipatory bail plea being allowed, he has got protection from arrest in both cases.
In the first case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) — constituted to probe the various allegations of sexual harassment and assault levelled by female actors against some of their male counterparts and directors in the Malayalam film industry — formally recorded his arrest earlier in the day.
He underwent medical examination and a potency test, after which he was released on bail, his lawyer, advocate Geo Paul, told PTI.
Mukesh’s arrest was recorded after the SIT called him for questioning.
He appeared before the SIT at the Coastal Police Headquarters here at 9.45 am and was questioned for three and a half hours.
Ernakulam District and Sessions court had granted pre-arrest bail to Mukesh on September 5 in connection with the rape case filed against him by the female actor.
The actor has claimed that the charges were the result of his refusal to succumb to blackmail attempts by the complainant.
Multiple FIRs have been registered against several high-profile Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors, sparked by revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report.
The committee was established by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case. Its report highlighted instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.
In response to these allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation involving several actors and directors, the state government announced the formation of a seven-member Special Investigation Team on August 25 to investigate the claims. PTI HMP HMP KH
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