Man’s plaint against Ranjith: Unnatural sex charge invoked

Kozhikode: The special police team formed to look into the complaints registered following the release of the Hema Committee report will probe the latest cases registered in Kozhikode, including against director-actor and Kerala Chalachitra Academy former chairman Ranjith based on a young man's complaint.Kasaba police registered the latest case against Ranjith based on Mankavu youth's complaint under IPC section 377 (carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman, or animal).Meanwhile, Nadakkavu police have booked former AMMA general secretary and actor Edavela Babu, actor Sudheesh, the late actor Mamukkoya, and the late director Harikumar. The case was registered based on allegations by a junior artist from Eranjipalam. Kozhikode police have begun the procedure to hand over the cases to the special team led by IG G Sparjan Kumar.Ranjith also faces charges for transmitting obscene images electronically. Babu, Sudheesh, Mamukkoya, and Harikumar are accused of sexual misconduct. The special investigation team will now handle questioning and other legal procedures in both cases, said sources.Sources said a team led by Police Academy assistant director Aishwarya Dongre recorded the statements of the complainants, and the local police registered the two FIRs late Friday night.The young man had complained to the DGP that Ranjith had called him to a hotel room in Bengaluru in 2012 and subjected him to unnatural offences. Meanwhile, the junior artist's allegation is that Babu demanded sexual favours when she sought membership in actors' body AMMA and that the others behaved in a manner that demeaned her womanhood.Ranjith had previously faced a case based on a complaint by a Bengali actress who alleged misconduct at a hotel in Kochi during the filming of Paleri Manikyam Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha. Babu had earlier been booked by the Ernakulam North Police based on a complaint that he had harassed someone under the pretext of offering AMMA membership.