Sexual abuse complaint against lawyer Chandrasekharan false, police tell court

Kochi: The special police team which investigated the allegations raised after the release of the Hema Committee report on the working conditions of women in Malayalam film industry has filed a report before the court which says that the molestation charge by an Aluva-based woman actor against Advocate V S Chandrasekharan, a former leader of the Lawyers’ Congress, was false.

The refer report was submitted based on a case registered by the Ernakulam Central police. As per the report, the actor filed a sexual harassment complaint against Chandrasekharan following previous animosity. It also urged the court to close the proceedings in the case, which was registered following a fake complaint.

The woman actor had submitted complaints against seven people, including certain male actors and Chandrasekharan, after the government published the Hema Committee report.

However, the police report now says that personal enmity was the reason for the woman actor naming Chandrasekharan, and explains how it happened. As per the police, Chandrasekharan received a chance to act in a movie titled ‘Shudharil Shudhan’ following a recommendation by the actor. However, when the shooting started, the director omitted the actor from the cast. Even though Chandrasekharan became a part of the movie thanks to the actor, he did not intervene in her favour.

Chandrasekharan went on to appear in several other films, but he never helped the actor to land a role. Developing an animosity towards Chandrasekharan due to these reasons, the actor later raised the false complaint against him, says the police report.

The case against Chandrasekharan was that he had facilitated a film producer, the main accused, to sexually abuse the woman actor. At the same time, the police report says that the statements given by the actor were contradictory and could not be believed, as she did not even clearly identify the producer. According to the police, the actor could not be considered a reliable witness as she often changed her statements. The report also says that the actor could not provide a proper explanation for the delay of 15 years in filing a complaint after the alleged incident.