Kerala filmmaker Ranjith gets bail in sexual harassment case

Kerala filmmaker Ranjith granted bail in sexual harassment case with strict conditions, including passport surrender and local restrictions.

Ranjith, filmmaker and former chairman of Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, was granted bail under stringent conditions by the Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Friday (April 10, 2026) in a sexual harassment case.

Judicial First Class Magistrate L. Usha granted bail to Mr. Ranjith, who had been arrested and since then lodged at the Ernakulam Sub Jail. The court directed him to surrender his passport, remain within Ernakulam district, and refrain from entering Fort Kochi, where the alleged offence took place during a film shoot. He was also ordered to execute a bond of ₹1 lakh and furnish two solvent sureties of the same amount.

Besides, Mr. Ranjith must appear before the investigating officer every Monday for the next three months or until the chargesheet is filed. He has since been released.

The prosecution opposed the bail plea, arguing that he had not cooperated with the investigation. The defence countered that Mr. Ranjith had neither objected to his arrest nor to custodial interrogation earlier, and cited his health condition as grounds for bail.

The filmmaker was taken into custody by the Thodupuzha police on March 31 in connection with a complaint filed by a female actor, who alleged that she was sexually harassed inside a caravan during shooting. He was reportedly intercepted and arrested while travelling in his vehicle.

Two cases of sexual assault were registered against Mr. Ranjith in 2024 following allegations that surfaced after the release of the Justice Hema Committee report. However, the Kerala High Court quashed one of the cases in October 2025.