Hema Committee report
The Kerala High Court dismissed a plea challenging the state information commission’s directive to release the Justice K Hema Committee report, which addresses the working conditions and issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. The petitioner, Parayil, argued that releasing the report, even with redactions, could compromise the privacy of individuals who provided statements to the committee or were accused of sexual harassment. However, the court emphasized that there is no conflict between the rights to information and privacy in this case, as the commission has implemented safeguards to protect individuals’ privacy.
The court noted that the petitioner’s concerns were speculative and that the commission had thoroughly reviewed the report to ensure that privacy would not be breached. The court also mentioned that requests from the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and the state women’s commission to publish the report demonstrate the public interest in the matter.
The Justice Hema Committee Report was established by the state government following the February 17, 2017, incident in which a prominent Malayali actress was kidnapped and sexually assaulted in a moving car near Kochi. Actor Dileep, one of the accused, is currently on trial for conspiracy and other charges. Although the committee submitted its report to the government in 2019, it was never made public, despite strong advocacy from activists.
Following the court’s decision, P Sathidevi, the chairperson of the women’s commission, stated that revealing the report’s contents is crucial to addressing the issues in the film industry, while still protecting individual privacy.
