Malayalam cinema director Ranjith, actor Siddique quit posts over allegations of abuse
Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi (PTI): Rocked by the Justice K Hema Committee's explosive findings of harassment and abuse of women professionals, the Malayalam cinema industry on Sunday witnessed two high-profile resignations related to such issues, including that of director Ranjith who stepped down as the chairman of a state-run film academy.
Even as political pressure was building against Ranjith, actor Siddique quit as the general secretary of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A.) amid voices from within his fraternity seeking his resignation.
Ranjith, an eminent filmmaker, was under fire after a Bengali female actor accused him of misbehaviour years ago, but the issue came to the limelight in the wake of the Hema Committee report becoming public.
Further, a woman actor had raised sexual assault allegations against Siddique on August 24.
Ranjith stepped down as the head of the government-run Kerala Chalachitra Academy on Sunday and informed his decision through an audio clip sent to a television channel.
He resigned amid an opposition clamour--from the Congress and BJP-- demanding he quit from the post.
Ranjith said he doesn't want to continue in the position as it would adversely impact the reputation of the Left government in the state. He said he would fight the accusations against him legally.
"I have been targeted by a certain section of people since the day I took charge as the Chairman of the Academy. I need to prove before the society that the allegations are untrue. I have decided to move legally and bring out the truth," he was heard saying in the audio clip.
"Many people including the media are attacking me without understanding the truth. In this context, I have decided to step down from the post," Ranjith added.
The Bengali actor had recently alleged that the award-winning filmmaker had behaved in an inappropriate manner when she came up for the shooting of a film which he had helmed. The filmmaker has rejected the actor's charge and said he was the "real victim" in the case.
After Ranjith announced his resignation, state Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan told reporters in the state capital the government would accept the filmmaker's resignation as soon as he sent it.
Reiterating that the Left government has always stood by the victims in issues relating to sexual assaults and abuses, the minister also rejected allegations that he had tried to shield the accused director.
"I have always taken a stern stand in favour of women in all issues. The Left government's stand is also crystal clear in the matter. We are always with victims in such cases. Stringent action will be taken against the wrongdoers."
Siddique, a senior actor said he has sent his resignation letter to President of A.M.M.A and top star, Mohanlal.
"Since there were allegations against me, I have decided not to continue in the post and resigned," Siddique said.
A female actor had on Saturday alleged that Siddique had sexually abused her after inviting her for a movie discussion.
Meanwhile, various members of A.M.M.A. welcomed the decision of the senior actor to step down from the top post of the outfit in the wake of the allegations.
Jayan Cherthala, the vice president of the A.M.M.A., said it was not appropriate for Siddique to continue in the position even after such serious allegations cropped up against him.
Well-known actor Anoop Chandran said he had sent an email to Mohanlal on Sunday morning detailing the need seeking Siddique's resignation.
"The continuation of a person, facing serious allegations, in the post is actually an insult to the entire organisation. So I said in the email that if Siddique was not ready to step down on his own, the executive committee should be prepared to oust him," Chandran told media.
Actress Mala Parvathy said Siddique's decision to resign was "morally and ethically correct".
"The actor's resignation is inevitable...it is an appropriate decision. If that victim woman showed the courage to come in front of the society and detailed the trauma she underwent, we should understand the intensity of pain and humiliation she had suffered," she said.
Director Ranjith was forced to announce his resignation following intense protests against him and the state government in view of the shocking charges.
BJP activists took out a protest march to Ranjith's residence in Kozhikode this morning demanding his resignation.
The report by the Justice Hema Committee, constituted by the Kerala government post the 2017 actress assault case, has revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry, prompting calls for action against the guilty.
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HC questions Delhi govt over failure to regulate sale of old vehicles, refers to Red Fort blast
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court questioned the city government on Wednesday over its failure to regulate the sale and transfer of used vehicles, while pointing out that in a recent bomb blast near the Red Fort, a second-hand car was used, making the issue more significant.
A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela asked the Delhi government to file a detailed response on the issue of regulating authorised dealers of registered vehicles.
"A car changes four hands but the original owner has not changed. Therefore, what happens? That man (the original owner) goes to the slaughterhouse? What is this? How are you permitting this? You will take a call when two-three more bomb blasts take place?" the bench asked the Delhi government's counsel.
The bomb blast near the iconic Mughal-era monument was carried out using a second-hand car, making the issue even more significant, it said.
The court listed the matter for further hearing in January 2026.
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The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) plea filed by an organisation, Towards Happy Earth Foundation, highlighting the challenges in the implementation of rules 55A to 55H of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, introduced in December 2022 to regulate authorised dealers of registered vehicles.
While the rules were intended to bring accountability to the second-hand vehicle market, the petitioner's counsel argued that they have failed in practice due to regulatory gaps and procedural hurdles.
The plea said there is a major gap in the amended framework, that is, the absence of any statutory mechanism for reporting dealer-to-dealer transfers.
"In reality, most used vehicles pass through multiple dealers before reaching the final buyer, but the rules recognise only the first transfer to the initial authorised dealer.
"As a result, the chain of custody breaks after the first step, defeating the very purpose of accountability," the petition said.
It added that because of these gaps, only a very small percentage of dealers across India have been able to obtain authorised dealer registration and in Delhi, not a single dealer has got it.
Consequently, lakhs of vehicles continue to circulate without any record of who is actually in possession of those, it said.
The plea said only a small fraction of India's estimated 30,000 to 40,000 used-vehicle dealers are registered under the authorised-dealer framework.
The petition also pointed out that the 11-year-old vehicle used in the November 10 bomb blast near the Red Fort was sold several times but was still registered in its original owner's name.
The blast near the Red Fort had claimed 15 lives.
