The court docket mentioned that it was a match case to grant bail to the petitioner “within the curiosity of justice”.
Kochi:
The Kerala Excessive Courtroom on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to veteran actor-cum-director Balachandra Menon in a case accusing him of outraging the modesty of a feminine actor in 2007 throughout a movie shoot, saying that males too have “delight and dignity” and never simply ladies.
The order and remark by Justice PV Kunhikrishnan got here whereas permitting the anticipatory bail plea moved by the actor towards whom the case was lodged in September this yr after the discharge of the Justice Hema Committee report.
In his plea, Mr Menon had contended that the criticism was made after a niche of 17 years from the date of the alleged incident in 2007 and the intention was to malign his picture.
The court docket mentioned there was “power” in his arguments because it was an admitted proven fact that the alleged incident occurred in 2007.
“It’s an admitted proven fact that the sufferer filed the criticism after 17 years of the alleged incident. It’s an admitted proven fact that the petitioner (Mr Menon) is a identified cine artist. He directed about 40 movies and he obtained two Nationwide Awards. He was honoured by the nation by giving Padma Shri additionally.
“Based mostly on the assertion of a girl, that additionally after 17 years, the current case is registered. It’s true that the investigation is happening. However, everyone should do not forget that the delight and dignity is just not solely to ladies, however to males additionally. I go away it there,” Justice Kunhikrishnan mentioned.
The court docket additional mentioned that it was a match case to grant bail to the petitioner “within the curiosity of justice”.
It directed Mr Menon to look earlier than the investigating officer inside two weeks from Wednesday to bear interrogation.
“After interrogation, if the Investigating Officer (IO) proposes to arrest the petitioner (Mr Menon), he shall be launched on bail on executing a bond for a sum of Rs 50,000 with two solvent sureties every for the like sum to the satisfaction of the arresting officer involved,” the court docket mentioned.
It additional directed that Mr Menon shall seem earlier than the IO for interrogation as and when required, shall cooperate with the investigation and “shall not, straight or not directly make any inducement, menace or promise to any individual acquainted with the info of the case in order to dissuade him from disclosing such info to the court docket or to any police officer”.
The complainant had made the allegations towards Mr Menon within the wake of the Justice Hema Committee’s report being launched.
Based mostly on the criticism, an FIR underneath sections 354 (assault of prison power to girl with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (phrase, gesture or act meant to insult the modesty of a lady) and 506 (prison intimidation) of the IPC was registered towards Mr Menon.
The actor was given interim safety from arrest by the court docket on October 30 and it was prolonged sometimes until Wednesday when his plea was allowed.
The Justice Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala authorities after the 2017 actress assault case.
The whole report of the committee was positioned earlier than the Kerala Excessive Courtroom which directed that or not it’s handed over to the particular investigation crew (SIT) that was constituted to probe complaints of sexual abuse within the movie business.
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