Manjummel Boys Director Chidambaram Poduval Granted Anticipatory Bail In Sexual Assault Case

Chidambaram S Poduval, the filmmaker who earned acclaim for Malayalam film Manjummel Boys, has been granted anticipatory bail by the Ernakulam Sessions Court in a sexual assault case filed by an actress. The order was issued by Sessions Judge KK Balakrishnan after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence.

According to media reports, the case was registered by the Ernakulam Town South Police following a complaint lodged by the woman. In her statement, the complainant alleged that the incident occurred in May 2022. She claimed that the director entered her apartment without permission and assaulted her.

Based on the complaint, the police filed a case under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges include Section 354 - assault or use of criminal force with intent to outrage a woman's modesty, Section 354A(1)(i) - sexual harassment involving physical contact, and Section 509 - word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman.

In his anticipatory bail petition, Chidambaram strongly denied the accusations. As per reports, the director’s legal team stated that his interactions with the complainant were strictly professional and related to film production work.

The defence also raised concerns regarding the timing of the complaint. They argued that it had been filed nearly four years after the alleged incident, which they said raised serious questions about the delay. According to the defence, the case was an attempt to tarnish the director’s reputation.

During the hearing, the court examined the delay in filing the complaint along with the observations submitted by the investigating officer. The officer’s report reportedly stated that the complainant had not been fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation.

After considering these aspects, the Sessions Court granted anticipatory bail to the filmmaker.

The court also took note of an interim order issued earlier by the Bombay High Court, which had restrained the publication of allegedly defamatory content about the director in the media.

The investigation into the case is currently underway.