Kerala police file second FIR against Jayasurya following complaint from actress

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Another FIR has been registered against actor Jayasurya following the complaint of an actress.

The Kerala police said, “A second FIR registered against actor Jayasurya under Sec 354, 354A(A1)(I) 354D BNS. The case was registered after the complainant’s statement was recorded. An FIR has been registered in Thiruvananthapuram and will be transferred to Thodupuzha police station”.

After the Justice Hema Committee report came out, some women from the Malayalam film industry came forward with charges of sexual harassment. On Thursday, actress Sonia Malhar addressed the issue and revealed shocking incidents of mistreatment and exploitation during the initial years of her career.

She said, “I entered the industry in 2013 and, after doing one or two films, there was an incident on a film set. The shoot was in Thodupuzha. When I arrived on location, I noticed that, unlike the usual practice, where junior artists are not introduced to the lead actors, I received some respect because of my social work background. Even the director came up to me and shook my hand, which is not typical. He then introduced me to the lead actor and actress”.

#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: On sexual abuse allegations in the Malayalam film industry, Malayalam Actress Sonia Malhar says “My first experience was at a movie location in Thodupuzha in 2013. A hero (actor) misbehaved with me. I was a little scared, I was crying and… pic.twitter.com/Mp4l6nTEcn

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She continued to share, “I was asked to go for makeup and change into my costume. They mentioned there was a slight change in the location. The makeup and costume room, along with toilet facilities, were in an old building nearby. When I went to the toilet and came back, someone unexpectedly held me. I was terrified and he later apologised”.

“After that incident, I faced many difficulties. In films, I was working on, the payments were delayed, and I was replaced after the film was announced in newspapers and on TV. After this news spread, a role that was promised to me was given to someone else”, she added.

Sonia Malhar said that she decided to come out with this allegation when she came to know that an actress from other states also had such bad experiences and she felt shame. “It is shameful that a woman from another state cannot even be shown the respect she deserves. When a woman speaks out against the head of the Film Academy, one would expect some shame”, she added.

She shared that after the Hema Committee report came out, “the silence from many people” deeply “hurt” her.

On August 28, the first FIR was registered against actor and CPI (M) MLA from Kollam, Mukesh M, following the complaint of actress Minu Muneer. Kerala police said, “An FIR has been registered against actor Mukesh, CPI (M) MLA from Kollam constituency. The FIR was registered on the basis of the complaint of an actress.”

The police also added that another FIR has been registered against Actor Jayasurya on the complaint of the same actress, under section 354 which deals with intent to outrage modesty. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has taken the statement of the actress on Wednesday.

Muneer has accused actors Mukesh M, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, and Idavela Babu of both verbal and physical abuse during their collaborations on film projects.

Muneer detailed her experiences, alleging a range of misconduct. “Once, as I was coming out from the toilet, Jayasurya hugged me from behind and even kissed me forcefully… After that, Idavela Babu expressed his interest in a sexual relationship with me,” she claimed.

She further described troubling interactions with Maniyanpilla Raju, including inappropriate suggestions regarding her hotel accommodation.

The allegations surfaced shortly after the resignation of director Ranjith and actor Siddique from their positions in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), following separate accusations against them. Muneer’s allegations were initially shared on her Facebook page, where she recounted a series of incidents dating back to 2013.

“I am writing to report a series of incidents of physical and verbal abuse I suffered at the hands of Mukesh, Maniyanpilla Raju, Idavela Babu, Jayasurya, Advocate Chandrasekharan, production controller Noble and Vichu,” Muneer wrote. She stated that the abuse led her to leave the Malayalam film industry and relocate to Chennai. (ANI)