Film Director Kunju Muhammad Granted Anticipatory Bail In Molestation Case

A court in Thiruvananthapuram has given anticipatory bail to film director P T Kunju Muhammad in a case where he is accused of allegedly molestating a woman associated with the Malayalam film industry.

Muhammad is a noted filmmaker and producer and had earlier served as a Left-supported independent MLA in Kerala.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Rekha R on Saturday granted relief to the former MLA after hearing detailed arguments of the public prosecutor and the defence counsel.

Earlier this month, Cantonment Police had registered a case against Muhammad following a complaint that he had allegedly molested the woman at a hotel where they were staying to select Malayalam films for the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).

The defence counsel said that the allegations against Muhammad were false. The counsel pointed out that the complaint was initially submitted to the chief minister and not to the police.

The public prosecutor vehemently opposed bail, stating that the allegations were of a serious nature. The prosecutor added that the investigation was still underway and that granting anticipatory bail could affect witnesses.

After considering the submissions, the court granted anticipatory bail to Muhammad. The court directed Muhammad to appear before the investigating officer for interrogation within a week, and ordered him to cooperate with the investigation.

The court also directed the police to release Muhammad on bail if he is arrested during the probe.