In a significant relief to Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan, the Kerala High Court on Monday quashed a sexual harassment case filed against him by a Bengali actress, citing an excessive delay in lodging the complaint. The Court held that the trial court had no authority to take cognisance of the case, as it was filed nearly 15 years after the alleged incident.
Background
The complaint, lodged in 2024, accused Ranjith of inviting the actress to his apartment in 2009 under the guise of discussing a film project, where he allegedly made inappropriate advances. Based on her complaint, an FIR was registered under Sections 354 (outraging modesty of a woman) and 509 (insulting a woman’s modesty) of the Indian Penal Code.
The actress filed her complaint shortly after the Justice Hema Committee Report, which had exposed rampant sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry, came to light.
Ranjith’s counsel, Advocates Santheep Ankarath and Sherry M.V., argued that the complaint was time-barred under Section 468 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which restricts courts from taking cognisance of offences punishable with up to two years’ imprisonment after three years from the alleged incident.
Court's Observations
Justice C. Pratheep Kumar, while hearing the plea, found merit in the defence argument. The bench noted,
"Since the maximum punishment provided under Sections 354 and 509 IPC was only two years, the Magistrate was not justified in taking cognisance after more than fifteen years."
The Court further remarked that the Magistrate's action violated the statutory limitation period, making the proceedings legally unsustainable.
Decision
Allowing Ranjith’s plea, the Court quashed the criminal proceedings pending before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ernakulam, invoking its powers under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS).
With this ruling, the long-standing case against the filmmaker stands closed, bringing him legal relief after years of controversy.
Case Title: Ranjith Balakrishnan v State of Kerala