Sexual Harassment Case

'Women in Cinema Collective' to soon propose code of conduct in Mollywood

The Women in Cinema Collective, an outfit of women professionals working in the Malayalam film industry, on Saturday said it would soon come up with a set of recommendations to "rebuild" the industry as an equal and safe workspace. In a Facebook post, the WCC expressed hope that all industry members would come in open solidarity and spirit to adopt a 'cinema code of conduct'. The Collective said in the wake of the publication of the Justice K Hema Committee report, it would commence a series with its proposed recommendations in this regard. "To rebuild the Malayalam film industry as an equal and safe workspace for all, we are commencing a series today with our proposed recommendations. "We hope all industry members will come together in open solidarity & spirit to adopt a Cinema Code of Conduct that will help transform our film industry onscreen & offscreen for the better. Stay tuned !" the FB post said. The outfit's action came weeks after the publication of the Justice K ...

Malayalam film actor Nivin Pauly, five others booked for sexual assault

Actor Nivin Pauly was on Tuesday booked for the offence of rape on a complaint by a 40-year-old woman that he sexually assaulted her over a year ago in Dubai, police said. An officer of Oonnukal police station, where the FIR under section 376 of the IPC was registered, said that there are six accused, including a woman, in the case. The first accused is a woman and Pauly is the sixth accused, the officer said. According to the woman, the incident occurred over a year ago in Dubai, the officer said, and declined to give further details. Pauly is among the many actors and directors who are facing allegations of sexual harassment or rape by female actors following the publication of the Justice K Hema Committee report. The committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealing instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry. Following the allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation crop

Karnataka BJP functionary Arun Kumar booked for sexual harassment

A case has been registered against BJP functionary Arun Kumar Puthila for allegedly sexually harassing a woman in Bengaluru in 2023, police said on Monday. The alleged crime happened in a hotel in Bengaluru when the woman wanted to join the pro-Hindu movement started by Puthila. She later became a follower of the functionary on various social media sites, they said. According to the FIR registered on September 1 at women's police station in Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district, Puthila took advantage of her trust and invited her to a lodge in Bengaluru city where he allegedly sexually assaulted her, besides blackmailing and threatening to kill her. The complainant alleged that he used to threaten her by claiming that he had photographs, selfies, audio, and videos, which might damage her image in society. Puthila had contested as an independent candidate in the 2023 assembly elections. Later, he rejoined the BJP. In his respose to the allegations, Puthila stated that it was a fake .

Samantha urges T'gana govt to publish report on sexual abuse in Tollywood

Praising the efforts of the Women in Cinema Collective in Kerala, actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu has urged the Telangana government to publish the report of a sub-committee on 'sexual harassment' in the Telugu film industry which can help frame policies to establish a safe working environment for women. Taking cue from the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), The Voice of Women, a support group for women in TFI (Telugu film industry), was created in 2019, she said on Instagram. "We, the women of the Telugu film industry, welcome the Hema Committee report and applaud the persistent efforts of the WCC in Kerala, which has laid the path to this moment," she said. "We hereby urge the Telangana government, to publish the submitted sub-committee report on sexual harassment, which can help frame government and industry policies, to establish a safe working environment for women in the TFI," Samantha said. The state government had in 2019 constituted a committee, comprising government officials o

#MeToo shakes Malayalam cinema: 17 cases registered, AMMA dissolved

AMMA, the top decision-making body in the Malayalam film industry, dissolved itself last evening, citing moral responsibility due to allegations by some actors against committee members

Mohanlal, AMMA team quit over scandal, new leadership expected soon

The association announced the resignation through an official statement, assuring that a new leadership will be selected soon

Hema Committee report paves way for #MeToo movement in Mollywood

What was the MeToo movement and how has the Hema Committee report, delayed by five years, reignited the fight against sexual harassment in the film industry

Sexual offenders should be castrated: Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar

Amid the outrage over the Badlapur sexual assault incident, Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday said those guilty of offences against women should be castrated. He was speaking at an official program about the Mahayuti government's flagship 'Ladki Bahin' scheme for women at Yavatmal in eastern Maharashtra. The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government in the state would not spare anyone accused of offences against women, whoever the person may be, and a bill providing for a more stringent punishment in such offences has been forwarded to the President for the assent, he said. "I personally feel that when such perverts lay hand on our mothers-sisters, our daughters, they should face such a legal punishment that they should not think of (repeating the offence) again. To put it in my language, such persons' private organ should be removed....Some people are so vile, that this must be done," Pawar said. Alleged sexual assault of two kindergarten girls at a school at Badlapur in

Top Indian cos sees a 40% jump in sexual harassment complaints in FY24

Data from Complykaro shows a 40.4% increase in sexual harassment complaints, with 268 more cases filed than in the previous financial year

Over 400 cases of sexual harassment at work logged every year since 2018

On average, 49 sexual harassment cases were reported every day in 2022, according to NCRB

SC to examine governor's immunity in molestation case: What is Article 361?

West Bengal molestation row: Raj Bhawan staff member has accused Governor CV Ananda Bose of sexual harassment, filed plea challenging immunity

'I feel violated': Woman accuses Jindal Steel exec of molestation on flight

The woman, who was seated next to Dinesh Kumar Saraogi, a senior executive at Jindal Steel Group, alleged that he behaved inappropriately

Weinstein scheduled to appear in NYC courtroom for upcoming retrial heaing

Harvey Weinstein is scheduled to appear in a New York court Friday ahead of a planned retrial on rape and sexual assault charges. The former Hollywood movie mogul's pretrial hearing in Manhattan criminal court will address issues related to evidence in the case, including text messages. At a hearing last week, prosecutors said they anticipate a November retrial. They told Judge Curtis Farber they are still actively pursuing new claims against Weinstein, though the prosecutors conceded they hadn't yet brought any findings to a grand jury. Weinstein's lawyer, Arthur Aidala, argued the investigation was simply a delay tactic. New York's highest court threw out Weinstein's 2020 conviction earlier this year, ruling that the original trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations that weren't part of the case. The conviction had been considered a landmark in the #MeToo movement, an era that began in 2017 amid numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against the

Bengaluru court rejects Prajwal Revanna's bail plea in sexual assault case

Prajwal Revanna has faced mounting legal and political turmoil since disturbing videos allegedly showing him assaulting multiple women surfaced ahead of polls

Another FIR lodged against former MP Prajwal Revanna for sexual harassment

Another FIR has been registered against former MP Prajwal Revanna on charges of sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation, police sources said on Tuesday. Along with him, three others, including former BJP MLA from Hassan Preetham Gowda has also been named in the FIR for allegedly sharing images captured by Prajwal during sexual harassment of the victim on a video call, they said. With the fresh FIR, this is the fourth case registered against Prajwal. "A fresh case has been registered by the SIT against Prajwal and three others. Former BJP MLA Preetham Gowda has also been named in the FIR," a police source confirmed to PTI. The case has been registered under sections 355 A (sexual harassment), 354 B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 354 D (stalking), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and 66 E (punishment for violation of privacy) of the Information Technology Act, according to the police sources. Meanwhile, Prajwal i

Court stays arrest of BS Yediyurappa, says, 'He's no Tom, Dick or Harry'

The Karnataka High Court questioned the urgency of arresting BS Yediyurappa, stating, 'He is not some Tom, Dick or Harry to flee'

FIR filed against Devaraje Gowda for sexual harassment in Karnataka

In her complaint, the victim alleged that she was physically harassed and threatened by Devaraje Gowda and others

BJP MP Brij Bhushan charged with sexual harassment of 5 women wrestlers

A Delhi court has formally levelled charges against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, head of Wrestling Federation of India, for sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation of 5 women wrestlers

Sexual abuse case: Third FIR filed against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna

One more rape case has been registered against JD(S) MP and Lok Sabha poll candidate from Hassan Prajwal Revanna, taking the number of cases pertaining to the alleged sexual abuse of several women to three, police sources said. The FIR was registered against Prajwal on May 8 in Bengaluru, according to sources in the Special Investigation Team which was constituted for a probe after a huge cache of explicit videos allegedly showing Prajwal sexually abusing several women became public. A case has been registered under IPC 376(2)(N), 376(2)(K), 354(A), 354(B), 354(C) and 506 of the IPC was registered. These cases pertain to repeated rape, voyeurism, filming, demand for sexual favours, dragging by clothes, molestation and threatening. The details of the victim have not been shared by the SIT sources. Prajwal is the grandson of former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and stood for the April 26 Lok Sabha election in Hassan as the NDA candidate. His party had formed an ...

Prajwal Revanna rape case: SIT announces helpline for sexual abuse victims

The Special Investigation Team probing the alleged sexual harassment of women by Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna has come out with a helpline number for the victims to approach them. SIT chief and Additional Director General of Police B K Singh said in a statement the victims can call 6360938947. Singh said the victims need not have to visit the SIT office as the team would personally approach them to offer them relief. The SIT also warned people at large not to share the videos showing women being sexually assaulted and molested allegedly by Revanna on social media or personal messenger applications. "It is easy to trace people sharing these videos on messenger services, so action will be taken against such individuals," Singh said. He also noted that sharing such videos would damage the reputation and honour of victims. Prajwal is seeking re-election from Hassan as an JD(S)-BJP alliance candidate. The constituency went for polls on April 26. JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA in Sept