The courtroom stated that it was a match case to grant bail to the petitioner “within the curiosity of justice”.
Kochi:
The Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to veteran actor-cum-director Balachandra Menon in a case accusing him of outraging the modesty of a feminine actor in 2007 throughout a movie shoot, saying that males too have “delight and dignity” and never simply girls.
The order and remark by Justice PV Kunhikrishnan got here whereas permitting the anticipatory bail plea moved by the actor towards whom the case was lodged in September this yr after the discharge of the Justice Hema Committee report.
In his plea, Mr Menon had contended that the grievance was made after a niche of 17 years from the date of the alleged incident in 2007 and the intention was to malign his picture.
The courtroom stated there was “drive” in his arguments because it was an admitted proven fact that the alleged incident occurred in 2007.
“It is an admitted proven fact that the sufferer filed the grievance after 17 years of the alleged incident. It is an admitted proven fact that the petitioner (Mr Menon) is a identified cine artist. He directed about 40 movies and he obtained two National Awards. He was honoured by the nation by giving Padma Shri additionally.
“Based on the assertion of a girl, that additionally after 17 years, the current case is registered. It is true that the investigation is occurring. But, all people should keep in mind that the delight and dignity just isn’t solely to girls, however to males additionally. I go away it there,” Justice Kunhikrishnan stated.
The courtroom additional stated that it was a match case to grant bail to the petitioner “within the curiosity of justice”.
It directed Mr Menon to look earlier than the investigating officer inside two weeks from Wednesday to bear interrogation.
“After interrogation, if the Investigating Officer (IO) proposes to arrest the petitioner (Mr Menon), he shall be launched on bail on executing a bond for a sum of Rs 50,000 with two solvent sureties every for the like sum to the satisfaction of the arresting officer involved,” the courtroom stated.
It additional directed that Mr Menon shall seem earlier than the IO for interrogation as and when required, shall cooperate with the investigation and “shall not, immediately or not directly make any inducement, menace or promise to any particular person acquainted with the information of the case in order to dissuade him from disclosing such information to the courtroom or to any police officer”.
The complainant had made the allegations towards Mr Menon within the wake of the Justice Hema Committee’s report being launched.
Based on the grievance, an FIR underneath sections 354 (assault of felony drive to lady with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (phrase, gesture or act supposed to insult the modesty of a lady) and 506 (felony intimidation) of the IPC was registered towards Mr Menon.
The actor was given interim safety from arrest by the courtroom on October 30 and it was prolonged on occasion until Wednesday when his plea was allowed.
The Justice Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala authorities after the 2017 actress assault case.
The full report of the committee was positioned earlier than the Kerala High Court which directed that it’s handed over to the particular investigation staff (SIT) that was constituted to probe complaints of sexual abuse within the movie trade.
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