HC slams govt for 5-year delay

Kochi: The high court on Tuesday criticized the state govt for its inaction on the Justice K Hema Committee report on the working conditions of women in the cinema industry, noting that it maintained a ‘Sphinx-like silence' for five years.
The bench of Justice C S Dias made these remarks while dismissing the pre-arrest bail petition of actor Siddique, who is accused of raping an actress.
The prosecution explained that the delay in filing the complaint was due to the survivor's fear for her safety, given the accused's powerful position. The alleged incident took place in 2016, but the survivor only felt safe to come forward after several actors began to speak out following the publication of the Hema Committee report. The survivor then gathered courage to lodge her plaint.
Taking this into account, the court emphasized the significance of the background facts surrounding the Justice Hema Committee report. Although the committee submitted its findings to the govt in 2019, it remained silent for five years. It was only through the intervention of the high court that the report was made public. In response, the state govt formed a special investigation team to take action against the offenders identified in the report, based on independent complaints filed by the victims. As a result, several victims, including the survivor in this case, have now lodged complaints with the police.
The court further noted that the legality, or rather the illegality, of the gov's decision to shelve the report, as well as the future course of action, is currently being reviewed by a division bench. As such, the court refrained from addressing this issue in detail. However, it acknowledged that the High Court's directive to publicize the report has likely empowered victims, such as the survivor, to come forward.