In a significant development, the police have registered a case against a well-known make-up artist in the Malayalam film industry for sexual harassment, following a directive from the Kerala High Court. The court instructed authorities to thoroughly review the Justice Hema Committee Report and take action if any offenses were identified.

This marks the first case registered based on the testimonies provided to the Hema Committee, which detailed issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. The Ponkunnam police in Kottayam district filed the sexual harassment case after receiving statements from a woman from Kollam. The investigation has since been handed over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to address cases of sexual misconduct arising from the report.

According to police sources, the FIR was registered under sections 506 (criminal intimidation), 354A (making unwelcome sexual advances), and 354D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code.

The alleged incident occurred in 2014 at a lodge in Ponkunnam during the shooting of a film. Following the mention of the incident in the Hema Committee report, the police contacted the survivor, who expressed her willingness to pursue legal action. An officer stated, “We recorded her statement, and the case will be investigated by the SIT.”

Earlier this month, the High Court criticized the state government's four-year inaction regarding the Hema Committee report and directed the government to provide an unredacted copy of the report along with all related documents to the SIT. The court emphasized, “Let the SIT go through it thoroughly and see whether any cognizable offenses are made out, and take action accordingly. The actions taken are to be reported to the court in two weeks.”

While the SIT has been addressing various complaints following the report's release, this is the first direct case linked to its contents.