A day after the release of the Hema Commission report on August 19, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that his government cannot take suo motu action against film personalities identified as sexual predators by women in the Malayalam film industry. He assured that the confidentiality of testimonies would be preserved, and stated that the government would act if any woman who testified before the Commission came forward with a complaint.

However, legal experts have remarked that with the release of the Commission report, the government is obligated to take action without waiting for victims to file complaints. The law mandates that the state take suo motu action in cases of sexual abuse. Under Section 157 of the Criminal Procedure Code (now Section 176 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, or BNSS), the police are required to register a case even if a third party files a complaint based on the findings of the Hema Commission report. A police officer who fails to register such a case could be liable under Section 199(C) of the BNSS, a top law department official said.

In 2013, a case was registered against Kollam MP Peethambara Kurup based on a complaint by DYFI, not by the actress Shweta Menon, who alleged inappropriate touching at the President’s Trophy Boat Race.

The Kerala High Court has upheld a lower court order directing filmmaker Major Ravi to face trial in a sexual harassment case filed by a journalist. Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan, in an August 12 order, dismissed Ravi’s petition challenging the Ernakulam Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court’s decision. The High Court upheld the Magistrate’s order to proceed with charges under Section 354A IPC (sexual harassment) and Section 120(O) of the Kerala Police Act, instructing Ravi to surrender and face trial.

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Actor Thilakan’s daughter, Sonia Thilakan, responded to the Hema Committee report, stating she also faced negative experiences from a leading Malayalam film actor. She expressed satisfaction that the Hema Committee confirmed issues her father highlighted in 2010 and hinted at revealing names of a 15-member group mentioned in the report once authorized.

Actor Asif Ali expressed respect for the victims who bravely shared their experiences and called for justice for those who spoke out against sexual assault, showing solidarity with them.

Actor Shine Tom Chacko acknowledged that sexual assault is an issue across various industries, not just cinema.

Actor Baburaj, husband of actress Vani Viswanath, commented on the disturbing lack of basic facilities for women on film sets and noted that the situation has not improved.