Kerala High Court Orders SIT Probe Into Drug And Alcohol Use On Film Sets

The Kerala High Court has mandated a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the use of alcohol and drugs on film sets and related workplaces. This decision comes in response to revelations from the Hema Committee report, which examined issues within the Malayalam film industry.

The court instructed the SIT to take legal action based on the report's findings and to maintain ongoing vigilance for similar violations. Emphasizing the need for preventive measures, the court stated that the witness statements collected by the committee should be treated as official information under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS).

Prioritizing victim and survivor privacy, the court ordered that their identities be protected in all official documents. The SIT was directed to mask names in First Information Statements (FIS) and restrict public access to these documents, with exceptions made only for the victims or survivors themselves.

The court also addressed witness protection, stating that individuals should not be compelled to provide statements. In cases of non-cooperation or insufficient evidence, the SIT was instructed to proceed as outlined in Section 176 of the BNSS.

This judicial action follows the August 2024 public release of a redacted version of the Justice Hema Committee report. The report, submitted to the state government in 2019, exposed instances of exploitation and mistreatment of women in the Malayalam film industry. It also highlighted the influence of a small group of male industry figures who allegedly dominate the sector.

The court's directives aim to address the issues raised in the report while safeguarding the rights and privacy of those involved in the investigation.