HC forms special bench to hear petitions on Hema panel report | India News – Times of India

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KOCHI: The Kerala HC on Thursday constituted a special division bench to consider petitions related to Justice K Hema Committee report on women’s working conditions in film industry. The bench, comprising Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and CS Sudha, was constituted as per orders of Acting Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque.
In the morning session of the court, a division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice examined the need for a special bench in response to an appeal filed by film producer Sajimon Parayil against a single bench order to release Hema panel report.
Four more petitions linked to the report are pending in the HC now. One of these, filed by Paichira Navas of Thiruvananthapuram, seeks criminal proceedings against those implicated in the incidents described in the report. The division bench had, while considering this petition, directed Kerala govt to submit the entire report in a sealed cover to determine what action could be taken. It had also impleaded Kerala Women’s Commission in the petition and posted the case to Sept 10.
Two Kochi-based lawyers, A Jannath and Amrutha Premjith, have approached the HC with a PIL seeking CBI probe into sexual assault allegations detailed in the report.
In another petition, TP Nandakumar of Kozhikode has sought a directive to state police chief to register an FIR against those responsible for the offences detailed in the report.
Former MLA Joseph M Puthusserry has also filed a PIL, seeking a directive to police to take appropriate action on the findings of the Hema Committee.
A substantial portion of Hema Committee report, after redacting references to individuals to protect their privacy, was released on Aug 19, revealing its shocking observations on sexual exploitation and disregard for women’s rights in the industry.
The panel, formed after the 2017 actor assault case involving actor Dileep, submitted its report in 2019, but govt kept it under wraps for nearly five years, citing sensitive information. Govt has formed a SIT to probe sexual abuse allegations that came up in the industry following the release of the Hema Committee report.