Kochi: The Ernakulam Central Police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against a Hindi film director following a complaint by a young woman who gained national fame after a photo of her at the Kumbh Mela went viral.

The survivor alleged that the misconduct occurred when she was a minor. According to police sources, the complaint states that the director exploited her under the guise of offering film opportunities shortly after she became an internet sensation.

“We have received a complaint and registered a case against the director. However, since the place of occurrence of the alleged crime is not here, the case will be transferred to the police station concerned in North India. We cannot divulge any other details now,” a senior police officer said.

The young woman, who has been at the centre of several public disputes over the last year, is currently residing in Kochi with her husband. Her marriage sparked a massive social media firestorm and legal battles, with various groups and individuals, including the accused director, publicly questioning the union.

The survivor and her husband have previously alleged that they moved to Kerala to escape constant harassment and threats to their safety in their home state. They got married in Thiruvananthapuram later.

The registration of the POCSO case in Kochi marks an escalation in the legal troubles for the director. Earlier in March, the girl had accused the director of sexual misconduct during a press conference held in Kochi. She also alleged that when she was about to complain, her family resisted and did not stand with her.

The new case comes at a time when the Madhya Pradesh (MP) police had already reached Kochi to investigate related complaints involving the girl's welfare and the circumstances surrounding her marriage, based on the allegation that she was a minor when she got married. Her husband had even moved court seeking protection from arrest after the MP police registered a case on charges of abduction against him.