The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking to halt the release of the Justice K Hema Committee report on the working condition of women in the Malayalam film industry.
The court today ordered the report to be released within one week.
Last week, the court had reserved judgement on the matter after hearing arguments of all parties involved.
Producer Sajimon Parayil had filed a petition and had vehemently argued against the publication of the report. Parayil argued that if the report is published, it would affect the industry at large – compromising individual privacy, breaching confidentiality, and damaging the reputation and livelihoods of those in the industry, including those who come forward with their testimonials and view points.
He further argued that since the persons about whom there may be allegations in the report were not given an opportunity of being heard, publishing the report violates the principles of natural justice.
Following this, a notice was issued to the State and the State Information Commission.
On July 24, 5he court stayed the release of the report for a week and the interim order was extended from time to time. The interim order was last extended on August 6.
The court has now ordered for the Hema Committee report to be published in a week.
ABOUT THE HEMA COMMITTEE REPORT
The Justice Hema Committee was constituted in 2017 after an assault case that involved an actress and actor Dileep. ‘Women in Cinema Collective’ had submitted a petition to the chief minister to study the issues faced by women in the industry.
The committee was entrusted to study issues like sexual harassment and gender inequality in the industry and providing solutions to them. The final report was submitted in 2019, but the state government is yet to release it because it reportedly contained sensitive information.
The State Information Commission had later directed the government to issue a report to RTI applicants, who were journalists of various media houses. The Commission further instructed them to blur the parts that reveal the identity of the people.
