Kerala Court Clears Filmmaker of Decade-Old Sexual Harassment Charges

In a significant ruling, the Kerala High Court has dismissed a sexual harassment case against renowned Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan. The case, which emerged 15 years after the alleged incident on the set of 'Paleri Manikyam' in 2009, was deemed time-barred by the court.

The High Court, led by Justice C. Pradeep Kumar, delivered the verdict on Monday, October 27, 2025, bringing an end to the criminal proceedings. The court accepted Ranjith's plea that the case, based on an alleged incident from 2009, was filed well beyond the permissible time limit for prosecution. The complaint had been registered by the Ernakulam North Police in 2024, which was 15 years after the alleged events.

The judge concluded that the Magistrate Court could not legally proceed with the matter given the statutory limitation period. The actress had accused Ranjith of misbehaving with her during the filming of 'Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha'. She claimed that Ranjith had invited her to his flat in Kadavanthra, Kochi, on the pretext of discussing a role and then tried to touch her inappropriately. Following the incident, she decided to withdraw from the project.

The complaint, filed in 2024, had triggered a storm in the Malayalam film industry, resulting in Ranjith resigning as Chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. In addition to this case, Ranjith had also faced a separate complaint in Karnataka, which was later stayed and quashed by the Karnataka High Court.