PT Kunju Muhammed, former Kerala MLA and filmmaker, was arrested following a sexual assault complaint. He was released on anticipatory bail as per the court’s conditions, and the investigation is ongoing.
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Filmmaker and former Left legislator PT Kunju Muhammed was taken into police custody on Tuesday in connection with a sexual assault complaint. Then they released him shortly afterward on bail following the terms of anticipatory bail granted by the court earlier this week.
The Thiruvananthapuram Seventh Additional Sessions Court had issued the anticipatory bail order on December 20. The order included strict conditions including a clause that required the police to release the accused on bail immediately if an arrest deemed necessary during the investigation.
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The court reached this decision after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence in detail.
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The police registered the case on December 8 based on a complaint submitted to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on November 27.
The complainant alleged that Kunju Muhammed had sexually assaulted her while he was chairman of the jury for International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).
The prosecution argued that Kunju Muhammed used his position and public influence to carry out assault. They stated that the accused allegedly called complainant to a room, forcibly restrained her and committed the sexual assault.
Police has submitted detailed investigation report and case diary to support these claims.
The prosecution opposed bail plea highlighting severity of these allegations and social position of the accused. They maintained that his influence made the situation particularly serious and warranted careful legal action.
The defence on the other hand questioned the credibility of the complaint. They noted a delay between the alleged incident said to have occurred on November 6 and filing of complaint on November 27.
The prosecution countered this argument by pointing out that the complainant had health issues. They also emphasised that delays in reporting sexual assault cases are common as survivors require time to process the trauma and that it should not affect credibility of complaint.
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