On Monday, the Kerala government finally released the Justice Hema Committee report, following prolonged controversy over its publication. The committee was established to examine the issues faced by women working in the Malayalam film industry, particularly in the wake of the actress assault case in 2017 that led to the arrest and trial of actor Dileep.
The decision to release the findings was made after the Kerala High Court dismissed an appeal filed by actor Ranjini, challenging an earlier order by a single-judge bench that permitted the report's release.
Formed to address concerns of sexual harassment and gender inequality in Malayalam cinema, the committee submitted its report to the government in 2019. However, the report's details were withheld for five years, reportedly due to the sensitive nature of the information contained within.
Earlier, on July 5, the State Information Commission (SIC) directed the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) to disseminate the report's findings in a manner that would protect individuals' privacy while ensuring public access to the information.