Pinarayi Vijayan Defends Govt's Handling Of Justice Hema Committee Report On Malayalam Film Industry

Pinarayi Vijayan also highlighted that in 2020, the then Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Vinson Paul ruled that the Justice Hema Committee report should not be disclosed to the public.

On Tuesday, Vijayan clarified that the state government had no role in withholding the report, asserting that they were merely following the guidelines provided by the committee itself.

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan addressed the controversy surrounding the Justice Hema Committee report on the conditions and sexual exploitation of women in the Malayalam film industry being kept under wraps for nearly five years. On Tuesday, Vijayan clarified that the state government had no role in withholding the report, asserting that they were merely following the guidelines provided by the committee itself.

Vijayan explained that Justice Hema, who chaired the committee, had written to the state government in 2020, citing Supreme Court guidelines that advised against naming individuals in the report due to the private nature of the information. She stressed the need for extra confidentiality, which the state government respected. "The state government had no role in this," Vijayan stated, according to a report on IANS.

He also highlighted that in 2020, the then Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Vinson Paul ruled that the Justice Hema Committee report should not be disclosed to the public. In 2024, CIC decision overturned this ruling, allowing the report to be released with sensitive information masked. 

This led to a series of legal challenges, including a petition from a film producer that initially resulted in a stay, and another petition from a popular actress. Vijayan reiterated that the state government has consistently maintained a neutral stance, emphasizing that the report was prepared solely by the committee, without the involvement of any stenographer, to ensure confidentiality.

Vijayan made it clear that his government has always taken a firm stance on issues of sexual exploitation and would continue to do so. He assured that if anyone who provided a statement to the committee comes forward with a complaint, the government will take action, regardless of the identities involved, as per the report.

"This is the first time in the country that a state government has appointed such a committee to study women's issues in the film industry," Vijayan added.