Malayalam Director Ranjith Arrested in Attempted Sexual Assault Case, Held In Judicial Custody

The action follows a complaint by a female actor, who alleged that Ranjith attempted to sexually assault her during the shooting of a film

Team THR India
By Team THR India
LAST UPDATED: APR 01, 2026, 12:20 IST|4 min read
Ranjith
Ranjith

Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith was arrested on Tuesday (March 31) in connection with an attempted sexual assault case. He has been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days, The Hindu reported.

According to news agency PTI, the action follows a complaint by a female actor, who alleged that Ranjith attempted to sexually assault her during the shooting of a film. In her statement, the actor claimed that the director had asked her to come to a caravan on set, where the alleged incident took place.

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Ranjith is regarded as a prominent figure in Malayalam cinema. He is known for directing acclaimed films like Indian Rupee and Spirit, winning three National Awards in his career.

As per reports, Ranjith was taken into custody on Tuesday night after the Thodupuzha police intercepted his car, acting on inputs that he might attempt to evade arrest. He was admitted to a General Hospital shortly after due to health concerns and was discharged the next morning. Around 7am on Wednesday, he was brought to the North Women’s Police Station, where his arrest was formally recorded. He was subsequently produced before a magistrate at a residence in Thrippunithura and remanded to 14 days in custody, after which he was shifted to Ernakulam sub-jail.

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The filmmaker has faced prior allegations as well. His name had surfaced in the aftermath of disclosures linked to the Justice K Hema Committee report, which documented instances of abuse in the Malayalam film industry. In 2024, a separate complaint was filed by a Bengali actress with the Kochi City Police Commissioner via email. She alleged that Ranjith had touched her inappropriately with sexual intent after inviting her to act in the film Paleri Manikyam in 2009.

The Kerala High Court had earlier closed his anticipatory bail plea in the 2009 case after police informed the court that they were considering treating the offence as bailable.

Ranjith is regarded as a prominent figure in Malayalam cinema. He has directed acclaimed films like Indian Rupee and Spirit, winning three National Awards in his career.

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