Hema Committee Report: Kerala HC Concerned With Govt Inaction In Sexual Assault Cases

Hema Committee Report Effect: The reports submitted by the Justice Hema Committee have stirred up a storm in the Malayalam film industry. The 235-page redacted version of the document exposes systematic sexual abuse faced by women in Mollywood, without revealing the names of victims and accused. The Kerala High Court, today, has ordered the State Government to hand over the unredacted version of the report to the Special Investigation Team (SIT). 

Kerala High Court's big directive on Mollwood's #MeToo uproar 

The Kerala High Court on September 9 came down heavily on the State government's inaction in the matters pertaining to sexual assault cases in the Malayalam Film Industry. The court blasted the authorities for not registering FIRs against those accused and for doing ‘nothing’ except constitute the Special Investigation Team (SIT). The special bench, constituted by Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice C S Sudha, directed the SIT to submit an action-taken report at the earliest. 
 

As per media reports, the court shared, “We are primarily concerned with the inaction of the state, including not registering FIRs... You have done nothing in 4 years except sit on the report." The court further directed for legislation from a ‘feminist perspective’. As per Live Law, the special bench has directed the government to ensure that the privacy of both the victim and accused must be protected from the media. They further emphasised that issues of sexual misconduct are not limited to women in films, and are an issue across professions. 

Live Law quoted the court saying, “We have a peculiar set of demographics in Kerala and it is unique. The population of women is more than that of men. The birth ratio has always been very high … The literacy rate of women is only marginally lower than men which is still high.” They emphasised that the issue is faced by the majority of the state and action must be taken accordingly. The court has ordered the SIT to submit the new report by October 3. 

What is the Hema Committee Report?

The Justice Hema Committee was formed by the government in 2017 to examine the issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. A redacted version of the report was published on August 19. The study revealed 17 forms of exploitation faced by women in Mollywood including sexual demands, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, lack of safety in the workplace, insufficient basic facilities, wage disparities etc. It also uncovered a power nexus comprising of men prevalent in the industry.