Manjummel Boys director Chidambaram gets bail in sexual harassment case

The Ernakulam District and Sessions Court has granted anticipatory bail to Chidambaram, director of the film Manjummel Boys, who faces allegations of sexual harassment. The bail comes with strict conditions set by the court.

Chidambaram, director of the Malayalam film Manjummel Boys, was granted anticipatory bail by the District and Sessions Court in Ernakulam on Saturday, March 7. The bail was granted after a complaint alleging sexual harassment, following an incident reported in May 2022. The court imposed conditions, including that Chidambaram must cooperate with the investigation, not tamper with evidence, and avoid attempts to influence witnesses.

A crime was registered by the Ernakulam South Police Station on February 28, based on the complainant's statement. Identified as an actor, she claimed that the filmmaker misbehaved with her at an apartment in Kochi in 2022.

Authorities have officially charged the director under Section 74 (outraging the modesty of a woman) and Section 75 (sexual harassment offences) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which governs criminal offences in India relating to assault or criminal force to a woman, sexual harassment, and insulting the modesty of a woman.

Chidambaram's bail application was submitted on March 3, and the court reserved its verdict after hearing both sides.

In his petition as reported by Live Law, Chidambaram said that he met the complainant during the production of Manjummel Boys, where she was considered for a role. He contended that his behaviour was professional and alleged that the complainant started a campaign to tarnish his reputation.

He further alleged that the complainant posted a reel on Instagram making sexual assault allegations, and that he had filed a damage suit against her in the Bombay High Court. An interim order was granted in December 2025 restraining her from publishing defamatory news.