Hema Committee report: UDF will prosecute sexual predators in film industry if it comes to power in Kerala in 2026, says KPCC president

Hema Committee report: KPCC president vows UDF will prosecute sexual predators in Malayalam film industry, challenging LDF government's inaction.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran has said the United Democratic Front (UDF) would prosecute sexual predators in the Malayalam film industry, irrespective of their influence, wealth or public stature, if it comes to power in Kerala in 2026.

In a Facebook post on Thursday (August 22, 2024), Mr. Sudhakaran accused the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of adding insult to injury by sitting on the damning K. Hema Committee report that documented sexual exploitation in the entertainment industry in distressing detail.

He said the committee had spotlighted the wrongdoers in the movie industry, including those at the apex level. The committee had also revealed instances of child sex abuse, which warranted prosecution under the POCSO Act. However, the LDF government has chosen to look the other way to shield the powerful. “People in Kerala know who the wrongdoers are,” Mr. Sudhakaran said. 

He said the government had committed a crime by not acting on the report. “The Pinarayi Vijayan government’s neglect of the committee’s grave findings ran against the grain of criminal jurisprudence and natural justice”, he added. 

Mr. Sudhakaran’s social media post comes amidst a growing chorus of demands from civil society, Opposition leaders, and film industry figures to initiate prosecution based on the depositions and evidence placed on record by the Hema Committee. It signalled that the UDF was on the cusp of a major agitation demanding justice for women in the film industry. 

On Wednesday, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, warned the government of street protests if the administration did not act on the report. The Mahila Congress protested in front of the State Police Headquarters, demanding that the government prosecute “sexists, abusers, misogynists and exploiters” in the film industry. 

Youth Congress State vice-president Abin Varkey sent an e-mail to the State Police Chief seeking prosecution based on the instances of criminality recorded in distressing detail by the Hema Committee.