A magistrate court in Ernakulam granted police three days’ custody of filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan in a sexual harassment case. The court allowed custodial interrogation, directing he remain with police for three days including April five and six.
ERNAKULAM: A magistrate’s court in Ernakulam granted police three days’ custody of Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan following his recent arrest in a sexual harassment case.
Judicial First Class Magistrate L. Usha approved the state’s request for custodial interrogation of Ranjith, ordering that he remain in police custody for three days today, tomorrow and Monday (April 5–6).
The court noted that the accused’s bail plea will be considered only after custodial questioning is completed. It directed that once the custody-period investigation concludes, Ranjith must be produced before the court, after which the bail application will be taken up on April 7 (Tuesday) for consideration.
The FIR was lodged by Ernakulam police based on a complaint alleging that the director attempted to sexually assault an actress inside a caravan during a film shoot on January 30 this year. Police recorded the actress’s confidential statement before arresting the filmmaker.
Ranjith was arrested on March 31 at Thodupuzha and brought before an Ernakulam magistrate, who initially remanded him to judicial custody. After his arrest, he complained of uneasiness and was taken to Ernakulam General Hospital; hospital authorities reported no serious health issues and he was sent back to judicial custody. He is currently housed at the Ernakulam Sub Jail.
Ranjith has been booked under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including non-bailable sections: Section 74 (assault or criminal force to women with intent to outrage her modesty), Section 75 (sexual harassment) and Section 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman).
Ranjith has denied the allegations, saying the case against him is false.
This is not his first accusation of sexual misconduct. In 2024, a Bengali actress accused him of attempting to molest her during a 2009 film discussion; an FIR was filed but the Kerala High Court later quashed the case in October 2025, citing a significant delay in lodging the complaint. In a separate matter, the Karnataka High Court also quashed proceedings that were initiated after an aspiring male actor alleged the director engaged in unnatural sex with him.
Advocate S. Rajeev represented Ranjith Balakrishnan before the trial court.
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