Malayalam film director and former MLA PT Kunju Muhammed has been arrested in connection with a molestation case filed by a woman from the film industry. Police confirmed the arrest on Wednesday and said he was later released on bail as per court orders.
Officials told PTI that Muhammed appeared before the investigating officers at the Cantonment Police Station on Tuesday. His arrest was officially recorded during this visit. After that, he was released on bail according to the directions of the court.
Court Proceedings Before the Arrest of PT Kunju Muhammed
The arrest came just days after Muhammed had approached a Kochi court asking for anticipatory bail. On Saturday, December 20, the public prosecutor strongly opposed his plea. The prosecutor said the “allegations were serious in nature” and that granting bail could “affect the investigation”.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Additional District and Sessions Judge Rekha R granted him anticipatory bail, which allowed him to avoid being taken into custody if arrested during the probe.
What the Woman Alleged on PT Kunju Muhammed
The case was registered earlier this month after a complaint was filed by a woman linked to the film industry. The Cantonment Police said she accused the filmmaker of molesting her at a hotel.
According to her complaint, both of them were staying at the hotel while performing film selection duties for the recently concluded International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). She alleged that the incident took place during that stay.
What PT Kunju Muhammed’s Lawyers Said
PT Kunju Muhammed has denied all the charges. His legal team said the complaint had no basis. They also pointed out that the “complaint was initially submitted to the chief minister (Pinarayi Vijayan) rather than the police”.
As part of the bail conditions, the court directed Muhammed to:
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Appear before the investigating officer within seven days
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Fully cooperate with the investigation
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Follow all conditions related to the probe
The police were also told that if he is arrested during the investigation, he must be released on bail immediately.
Who Is PT Kunju Muhammed?
PT Kunju Muhammed is a well-known Malayalam film director and producer. He holds a degree in Mathematics from St. Thomas College, Thrissur.
He made his debut as a director with the 1993 film Magrib, which starred Sreenivasan. Over the years, he has made several critically praised films, including:
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Garshom (1998)
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Paradeshi (2007), starring Mohanlal
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Veeraputhran (2011)
PT Kunju Muhammed Work in Television and Politics
PT Kunju Muhammed is also one of the founding directors of Kairali TV. He currently hosts a programme called Pravasalokam on the channel.
In politics, he served as a Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly twice. He was elected in 1994 and 1996 as a Left Independent candidate.
PT Kunju Muhammed Personal Life
PT Kunju Muhammed is married to Ayishabi and has two children. So far, he has not made any public statement about the allegations against him.