In light of the Hema Committee report, harassment allegations against actor-politician M Mukesh have resurfaced. Tess Joseph, a casting director, has renewed her accusations against the veteran actor, claiming inappropriate behaviour at an event several years ago when Mukesh repeatedly summoned her to his hotel room during the event.

Expressing her disappointment with the justice system and the industry's handling of such matters, Tess took to Instagram stories. She conveyed a deep sense of disillusionment, stating that trusting these systems to deliver justice has become increasingly difficult. She remarked that, given the silence surrounding the Hema Committee report and the legal defences mounted in other cases, it seems justice is no longer the priority.

Tess first brought the allegation to public in 2018, stating that Mukesh, then a presenter on the television quiz show Kodeeswaran, persistently contacted her during the event she was organising. She also recalled being moved to a room adjacent to Mukesh’s, which only intensified her discomfort.

Mukesh, who currently serves as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Kollam, denied the allegations on Sunday, dismissing them as a politically motivated attack. He contends that he is being targeted due to his position as a CPM MLA, insisting that he has never met Tess and had already addressed these claims when they first surfaced in 2018. Mukesh further argued that it makes no sense to bring up an incident that allegedly occurred 26 years ago. He also suggested that these accusations would not have been made if he were not a CPM MLA.