Malayalam actor Dileep, one of the main accused in a criminal case of plotting the abduction and sexual assault of an actress in Kochi, has had his AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Actors) membership reinstated. His suspension was revoked in July last year when the actor was arrested by the police with respect to his involvement in the case.

On Sunday, actor Mohanlal took charge as the president of AMMA with actor-politician Mukesh elected as the vice-president of the association, and Idavela Babu replaced Mammootty as general secretary. Actors Siddique and Jagadish have been elected as joint secretary and treasurer respectively.

One of the first decisions the new leadership took on Sunday was to revoke the suspension of actor Dileep. This has led the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) seething and fuming, with them posing questions with respect to the abduction and sexual assault case of the Malayalam actress. The WCC has issued a strong statement with seven questions directed at AMMA’s decision, reports The News Minute.

1.       Why did AMMA expel him in the first place?

2.       If they are reinstating now, then what has changed in the period between his expulsion and now?

3.       Don’t you feel there is an anomaly in taking back a rape accused to the association even before the investigation is over?

4.       The survivor is also a part of the association, right?

5.       Isn’t this decision to reinstate Dileep into the association of which the survivor is still a part of, insulting her?

6.       As a democratic organisation, what message does this decision send to the society?

7.       As a person whose case is still under investigation, doesn’t this decision challenge the legal system of the land?

Your anti-women decision is being condemned by the WCC who stands with the survivor.

The actress was abducted and sexually assaulted on 17 February 2017, in a moving car in Kochi. The remand report of the cast states that the actor held a grudge against the actress for breaking his marriage with ex-wife Manju Warrier. It is alleged that in 2013, at the rehearsal session of Mazhavillazhakil Amma, a stage programme organised by AMMA, Dileep had raged at the actress, and other actors had to intervene to cool him down.

The WCC is a non-profit organisation of women working in Malayalam cinema, formed in May last year. Its members include actress Parvathy, Padmapriya Janakiraman, Manju Warrier, Rima Kallingal, filmmaker-actor Geethu Mohandas, and several others.