KOCHI: In a scandal that has shaken the Malayalam film industry, actor-politician M Mukesh along with three other prominent actors have been booked in cases of rape and sexual assault, sparking a fierce political debate and calls for the ruling party MLA's resignation.
Amid intense protests by the opposition and demands from a section of Left party members for his resignation, Mukesh obtained relief from a court in Kochi, which granted him protection from arrest until September 3.
The ruling Left and the embattled MLA faced further trouble when senior CPI leader Annie Raja called for Mukesh's resignation as an MLA, after he was booked for rape following a complaint by a female actor.
As pressure mounted, the CPM-led LDF seemed to be supporting Mukesh, taking a cautious wait-and-watch stance.
LDF convener EP Jayarajan told reporters that earlier, much bigger sexual assault cases were registered against two other MLAs who had not resigned.
He was referring to Congress MLAs M Vincent and Eldhose Kunnappilly.
"Had they resigned, then the third MLA (Mukesh) too would have to resign. The law applies equally to all legislators. By asking for Mukesh's resignation, you are protecting the other two," he said.
The Justice K Hema Committee report's findings had a ripple effect, resulting in the registration of cases against two other prominent actors --Jayasurya and Maniyanpilla Raju, and Idavela Babu, a small-time actor who held a key role in the actors' association -- on sexual assault charges.
The complainant, who has appeared in a few films, levelled allegations against four actors, a politician, and two others connected to the film production industry.
In a Facebook post, the female actor said, "I am writing to report a series of incidents of physical and verbal abuse I suffered at the hands of 1 Mukesh, 2 Maniyan Pilla Raju, 3 Idavela Babu, 4 Jayasoorya (Jayasurya), 5 adv Chandrasekaran, 6 production controller Noble and Vichu, in the Malayalam film industry."
"In 2013, I was subjected to physical and verbal abuse by these individuals while working on a project. I tried to cooperate and continue working, but the abuse became unbearable," the actress alleged.
A rape case was registered on Wednesday night against Mukesh following the female actor's allegation that he sexually assaulted her in 2010. Soon, Mukesh moved the court in Kochi seeking anticipatory bail.
Granting interim relief to the actor-politician, the Principal Sessions Court stated that the likelihood of the actor fleeing from the law is low.