Sat Dec 07 07:33:56 UTC 2024: ## Kerala Delays Release of Redacted Hema Committee Report on Film Industry Abuse

**Thiruvananthapuram, December 7, 2024** – The Kerala State Information Commission (SIC) has postponed a decision on releasing redacted portions of the 2017 Hema Committee report, which detailed widespread sexual exploitation and harassment within the Malayalam film industry. A last-minute complaint prevented the SIC from ruling on the release of the sensitive material.

The report, submitted in 2019, sparked outrage after its delayed publication. Several RTI activists had petitioned the SIC, accusing the Kerala government of excessively censoring the report to protect influential individuals. While the SIC initially instructed the government to redact 29 paragraphs, the activists allege that 130 paragraphs were removed without justification. The SIC has criticized the government’s actions.

The report’s release triggered intense political fallout, with the Congress-led UDF and BJP accusing the ruling LDF government of shielding powerful figures within the film industry for seven years. Opposition leaders criticized the government’s response, with protests and the burning of effigies of Culture Minister Saji Cherian.

The government defended its actions, citing the Hema Committee’s non-judicial nature. However, facing pressure from civil society and the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), a special investigation team (SIT) was formed to prosecute those implicated in the report. The SIT has already filed charges against several actors, including a legislator, on rape charges based on victim testimonies. The controversy also resulted in the resignation of film director and actor Ranjith from his post as chairperson of the State Chalachitra Academy. The SIC’s decision on the release of the redacted portions remains pending.

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