Veteran filmmaker and former legislator PT Kunju Muhammed is facing charges of outraging a woman’s modesty after the Cantonment Police booked him following a complaint from a fellow filmmaker. Kunju Muhammed, known for his alignment with the Left, has been booked under non-bailable sections.
The Cantonment police officially registered the First Information Report (FIR) after the complainant first submitted a petition directly to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Police have since taken the woman's statement and gathered CCTV footage from a Thiruvananthapuram hotel where the alleged incident is said to have occurred, though questions have arisen concerning the delay in formally registering the case.
The complaint alleges that the filmmaker behaved in an improper manner with the woman when she arrived at the hotel for a meeting related to the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which is set to begin this week. Kunju Muhammed currently serves as the jury chairman for the IFFK.
Responding to the allegations, Kunju Muhammed denied any wrongdoing.
“I am a filmmaker who has consistently highlighted women’s issues. I never misbehaved with her. I suffer from several illnesses, and the complainant may have misunderstood. Still, I am willing to apologise,” he stated.
Kunju Muhammed is celebrated for his popular films, including Garshom (1999) and Paradesi (2007).
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