In a twist amid Mollywood’s unfolding scandals, the Kerala High Court has provided a temporary reprieve to celebrated actor and filmmaker Balachandra Menon. Facing a sexual assault case linked to incidents from 2007, Menon has been granted interim anticipatory bail until November 21, a decision made in light of unusual delays in filing the charges.
Justice CS Dias acknowledged the puzzling lag in registering the First Information Report (FIR), filed a staggering 17 years after the alleged events occurred during the shooting of Menon’s film De Ingottu Nokkiye. He reasoned that the unexplained passage of time warranted preliminary relief, with the Court instructing police to release Menon on bail if arrested.
The FIR accuses Menon under Sections 354, 506, and 509 of the Indian Penal Code, dealing with offenses like outraging a woman’s modesty and criminal intimidation. Yet, Menon’s defense forcefully counters these accusations. His anticipatory bail plea points to alleged attempts of blackmail, claiming he received threatening calls from the complainant and her associates. Menon contends that the allegations aim to tarnish his reputation and extort money, framing the case as a malicious attempt to exploit him.
Adding to the legal drama, Menon himself lodged a counter-complaint under Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, claiming intimidation and harassment.
While the Court weighed both sides, Menon’s legal team emphasized the absence of substantial evidence from 2007 and argued against the necessity of custodial interrogation. Meanwhile, the opposition requested more time for the investigation to proceed.
This case surfaces in the broader context of a shaken Malayalam film industry, following the revelations of the Justice K Hema Committee Report. Unveiled in August, the report exposed a culture rife with sexual harassment and coercive practices, igniting a wave of allegations against prominent figures. Menon’s case adds another chapter to the ongoing reckoning in Mollywood, where the past refuses to stay buried.
