Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : In a major development in the ongoing struggle for workplace safety in the Malayalam film industry, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has informed the Kerala High Court that it has investigated and closed all 35 cases that were registered based on the findings of the controversial Hema Committee report.
The statement was made during a court hearing for a petition filed by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), which has been at the forefront of demanding systemic changes to protect women in the industry.
The Hema Committee, headed by retired Justice K. Hema, was established by the state government to study the problems faced by women in Mollywood. The committee submitted its comprehensive report in 2019, detailing issues of sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination. However, the report has controversially never been made public, despite persistent demands from the WCC and other activists for its release.
Following the submission, an SIT was formed in 2022 to take action based on the report's recommendations and findings. The government's state attorney informed the High Court that the SIT has now completed its work on the cases derived from the report.
While the closure of these cases marks a legal milestone from the government's perspective, the core demand from the WCC and other advocates remains unaddressed: full transparency. They argue that without making the Hema Committee's findings and recommendations public, it is impossible to ensure that meaningful, long-term reforms—such as the mandatory implementation of Internal Complaints Committees (ICC)—are properly established to create a safe and equitable working environment for all.
The SIT's declaration may have closed the files on these specific cases, but the larger fight for accountability and reform in the Malayalam film industry continues.
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