HYDERABAD: The
Telangana high court
has directed the state government to inform it its stand on the demand for constitution of a high-level committee to look into allegations of
sexual exploitation
,
casting couch,
harassment
etc in Telugu film industry. It also sought to know from the state the steps it is proposing to take and also the mechanism that is in place now to deal with the problem.
The bench comprising Chief Justice TB Radhakrishnan and Justice A Rajasheker Reddy gave this direction while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by V Sandhya Rani and six other women activists from Hyderabad who were seeking some protection to women who were working in the film industry as artists and also in various other trades connected the industry.
The Telangana government is displaying inaction in constituting a high-level committee to deal with the numerous complaints of sexual exploitation of women working with Telugu film industry, Vasudha Nagaraj, the counsel for the petitioners said..
In fact, the Telangana film development corporation had sought the permission of the government to constitute such a committee way back in Sept 2018, she added.
The state counsel sought time to file counters on behalf of Home, women and child welfare etc. The bench posted the case to February 12.