Thiruvananthapuram: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) examining the Hema Committee report on sexual misconduct in the Malayalam film industry has identified over 20 critical witness statements. These key testimonies could potentially lead to legal proceedings, marking a significant development in the investigation. The SIT aims to complete the first round of witness examinations by September 30, with plans to file cases before the High Court hearing scheduled for October 3. The team intends to contact most of the witnesses within the next ten days, with legal action proceeding based on the consent of the survivors.
The Kerala government has only released 296 pages of the full 3,896-page Hema Committee report to those seeking information through RTI applications. The complete document, which contains essential witness statements and evidence, has been divided among the five members of the SIT—IG Sparjan Kumar, DIG Ajitha Beegum, SPs G Poonkuzhali, Merin Joseph, and Aishwarya Dongre—for in-depth review. Crime Branch Chief H Venkitesh has instructed the team to finish analyzing the report within three days.
The SIT is prioritizing urgent cases during the first phase, while survivors who are not fully identified in the report will be tracked with the help of the Hema Committee or the State Cultural Affairs Department.
