Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith granted bail in alleged sexual harassment case, directed to surrender his passport

AMagistrate margaret court has granted bail bond to Malayalam shoot theatre director Ranjith, who was arrested in a sexual torment case on March 31. As per the latest update on news agency PTI, Judicial First Class Magistrate L Usha granted bail to the filmmaker after imposing stringent conditions. (Also read: Ranjith claims innocence in attempted sexual assault case; Film Employees Federation of Kerala takes action against him)Ranjith granted bailThe court has put some conditions on Ranjith along with the grant of bail. It directed Ranjith to surrender his passport, not to leave Ernakulam district, and not to enter the crime scene in Fort Kochi where the film shooting was held. He was ordered to execute a bond of ₹1 lakh and furnish two solvent sureties of the like amount. The court also directed Ranjith to appear before the investigating officer every Monday for the next three months or until the charge sheet in the case is filed.Ranjith, who is lodged at Ernakulam Sub Jail, will be released soon. When the bail plea was considered, the prosecution opposed it, claiming that he had not cooperated with the investigation. However, the defence counsel submitted that Ranjith had neither objected to his arrest nor to custodial interrogation earlier. The defence also cited his health condition while seeking bail. Taking into account his health condition and the status of the investigation, the court granted him bail.More detailsEarlier, following his remand, the filmmaker spoke to the press and claimed that the accusations against him were ‘false’. He also told reporters that he would be able to prove his innocence in the case while being taken inside the sub-jail in Kochi. Ranjith's lawyer has said that they are preparing to move a bail plea in court.Kochi City Police Commissioner S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said that a Special Investigation Team was formed after the actress filed a complaint. The allegations were discreetly verified before Ranjith was arrested.The case pertains to allegations that the filmmaker sexually assaulted the complainant during a film shoot. Police had earlier registered a First Information Report (FIR) on March 28 based on the actress's statement.An actress who was working with him filed a complaint alleging that he attempted to sexually assault her on a film set. He was taken into custody from the Idukki district.In her complaint, the actress alleged that Ranjith invited her to a caravan during the film’s shoot and attempted to assault her. Based on her statement, a case has been registered under multiple sections, including outraging the modesty of a woman, sexual assault, wrongful confinement and making obscene gestures.(via inputs from PTI)