More women from the Malayalam film industry have begun to speak out about the sexual abuse they allegedly endured at the hands of prominent figures, including actors and filmmakers, after Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra accused an acclaimed director in Kerala of harassment.

Late on Monday night, Kochi police registered a case against filmmaker Ranjith based on an email complaint filed by Sreelekha. The FIR was registered under Section 354 (assault or criminal force in outraging the modesty of a woman), a cognisable and non-bailable section.

This is the first case to be registered in connection with the ongoing “disclosures” of sexual assault that have gripped the Malayalam film industry.

On Monday, an actor who had to relocate to Chennai because of sexual harassment in the Malayalam industry shared her experience with the media.

She alleged that she was harassed by several notable showbiz figures, including actor Jayasurya, actor and CPM MLA Mukesh, comedian Maniyanpilla Raju and actor Edavela Babu.

The actor, whose name is being withheld although she has appeared before reporters identifying herself, accused Jayasurya of grabbing her and kissing her forcibly on her lips while she came out of the washroom at a shoot location.

Once she wriggled out and ran away, he allegedly followed, expressed his “interest in me” and invited her to his apartment promising better opportunities. Babu, who was then an executive committee member of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), Raju and Mukesh also allegedly sought sexual favours from her.

Junior actor Baburaj, who is the joint secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), and adman-turned-director V.A. Shrikumar Menon also sexually assaulted her a few years ago, she alleged.

The young woman accused Baburaj of inviting her to his house in Aluva, Ernakulam, on the pretext of meeting the production team of his film in which she was offered a role, and Menon of calling her over to his room in a star hotel in the same city for an advertisement. She accused both men of sexually abusing her.

“Baburaj raped me…. I know several other girls who had similar experiences with him,” the young woman told several news channels.

“Adman and the director of Odiyan, Shrikumar, offered to cast me in an advertisement and wanted to see me. This man also sexually abused me,” she said.

A senior actor, who is not very active in the industry now, told reporters that she had faced sexual harassment at the hands of noted filmmaker Thulasidas and production controller Aroma Mohan.

“I had shouted at him in the presence of others. Now, I am glad I did so,” she said.

The actors said they were encouraged to speak up following the release of the Hema Committee Report that looked into gender disparities and sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry.

The state government had in 2017 constituted the three-member committee, headed by retired high court judge K. Hema, in the wake of the kidnap and sexual assault of an actor. Its other members were actor Sharada and retired civil servant K.B. Valsala Kumari.

Just days after the release of the report, Sreelekha set the ball rolling by accusing filmmaker and former chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy, Ranjith, of inappropriately touching her during the discussion of a film project in 2009.

She was followed by a Malayalam actor who accused senior actor and the general secretary of the AMMA, Siddique, of sexually abusing her. Ranjith and Siddique resigned their posts on Sunday. Siddique lodged a police complaint against the accuser on Monday.

Some men named by the actors on Monday sought detailed investigations into the allegations to prove their innocence. “There will be many who would eye money or avenge the denial of a chance in a movie. We need to know who has erred. Otherwise even the innocent would be in the eye of suspicion,” Raju said, claiming innocence.

Baburaj denied the allegation and blamed it on “politics” within the industry. “All this is part of some politics. I know who is behind this allegation.”

Thulasidas, too, denied the allegation, saying everyone on the sets would have heard it if he were shouted at, as claimed by the accuser.