Kochi: The Ernakulam First Class Judicial Magistrate Court on Saturday granted custody of filmmaker Ranjith to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kochi City Police till 4 pm on Monday in connection with the sexual assault case registered against him.
The case pertains to a complaint filed by a young actress, who alleged that the incident took place inside a caravan during a film shoot in Kochi in January.

Allowing the custody plea, the court accepted the prosecution’s argument that the gravity of the offence warranted detailed interrogation and further evidence collection. The SIT, headed by Udayamperoor SHO, is functioning under the supervision of Kochi City police DCP Aswathy Jiji.

Opposing the custody application, defence counsel Advocate S Rajeev highlighted the director’s medical condition. He informed the court that Ranjith had undergone a liver transplant surgery and is also suffering from severe back pain following a recent spinal surgery. The lawyer argued that custodial interrogation could expose him to serious infection risks.

He further contended that the police had “unnecessarily hastened” Ranjith’s arrest. Claiming that the maximum punishment for the alleged offence is seven years, he argued that due legal procedures were not followed while taking Ranjith into custody from Thodupuzha. However, the court granted custody till 4 pm.

While granting custody, the court took note of the accused’s health concerns and directed the police to ensure that he undergoes a medical examination every 24 hours during the custody period.
The court has posted the hearing of Ranjith’s bail application to Tuesday, when he is scheduled to be produced in the court again.

“We didn't argue for the bail today since the court was considering the custody petition first. He will be produced back in the court on Tuesday, and the bail petition will be heard,” Advocate Rajeev told Onmanorama.

Ranjith, who had earlier been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody at the Ernakulam Sub Jail, has denied the allegations. Meanwhile, Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said that the SIT has begun recording statements from crew members who were present at the shooting location during the time of the alleged incident.