Kerala: Kozhikode man accuses Ranjith of offering hush money to withdraw sexual harassment complaint
A Kozhikode youth has filed a fresh complaint against director Ranjith, alleging he tried to bribe him to withdraw a sexual harassment complaint. The youth claims Ranjith's associate offered a large sum to drop the case, which stems from a 2012 incident in Bengaluru.
The youth from Kozhikode, who filed a sexual harrasment complaint against director Ranjith, has filed a fresh complaint with the special investigation team alleging that film director Ranjith attempted to influence him to withdraw the first complaint. The youth claimed that Ranjith's associate offered him a large sum of money to withdraw the complaint.
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The youth had earlier filed a complaint with the police, stating that Ranjith had harassed him in 2012 in Bengaluru. According to the complaint, Ranjith had called the youth to his hotel room, made him drink alcohol, and then harassed him.
After filing the complaint, the youth alleged that Ranjith's associate tried to coerce him into withdrawing the complaint, offering a substantial amount of money. The associate allegedly spoke to Ranjith over the phone in the youth's presence and also sent an email to the police.
Ranjith had earlier been granted anticipatory bail in the case, with the court directing him to furnish two sureties of Rs 50,000 each. The court had also stayed his arrest for 30 days.
The youth has also alleged that he is facing online harassment and defamation after filing the complaint.
This development comes after a Bengali actress had filed a similar complaint against Ranjith, alleging that he had harassed her during the filming of "Palery Manikyam" in Kochi.
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