Hema Commission Report : Kerala High Court Declines Actor Ranjini's Third Party Appeal, Allows Her To File Fresh Writ Petition
The Kerala High Court today dismissed the writ appeal filed by actor Ranjini challenging the decision of a single bench of the Court allowing the publication of Justice Hema Committee Report on the conditions faced by women in the Malayalam film industry.
Noting that Ranjini was not a party to the writ petition filed by Producer Sajimon Parayil (in which the impugned judgment was delivered), the division bench comprising Justice A Muhamed Musatque and Justice S Manu allowed her to file a fresh writ petition raising her grievances. The Court stated that it will direct the registry to number the writ petition, if it is being filed today to place it before the Single Judge.
“….the learned single judge had no occasion to consider the individual rights of the appellant. The remedy in such matters is for the appellant to approach the single judge challenging the actions which according to the appellant affect her individual right of privacy. With liberty as above, the appeal stands dismissed,” Stated the Court.
The Court added that it will hear the writ appeal filed by Producer, Sajimon Parayil challenging the order of the single judge.
The Court orally stated that the judgment of the single judge is a judgment in personam and not a judgment in rem. It noted that the appellant is a third party in the writ appeal and the right remedy for her is to approach the single judge with a writ petition.
She has filed the writ appeal alleging the violation of her right to privacy since she gave statements to the Committee under a promise of confidentiality. She submitted that she had a legitimate expectation of being heard before a decision was taken to publish the report.
[Update: The Justice Hema Committee Report was made public at 2.30 PM before the writ petition was placed before the Single Judge.
Click here to Read/Download the Report]
The appeal is moved by Advocates Renjith B. Marar, Lakshmi N. Kaimal, P. Rajkumar, Keshavraj Nair, Arun Poomulli, Anand Ramesh, Abhiram S. Abhijith Sreekumar, Gaadha Suresh
Case Title: Sasha Selvaraj @ Renjini v State of Kerala and Others
Case No: WA 1240/ 2024