The Kerala High Court on Tuesday, August 13, dismissed a writ petition seeking a stay on the release of the Justice Hema Committee Report. Justice VG Arun has ordered the release of the report with limited redactions. Further details are awaited.
The report, which was scheduled to be released by 4 pm on July 24, was stayed at around 3 pm on the same day after producer Sajimon Parayil approached the Kerala High Court, alleging that if released, the report would affect the privacy of those who shared crucial information before the Committee. He also argued that the disclosure was “fundamentally against public interest and violates the right to privacy” of several persons in the industry.
The Committee, headed by former Justice K Hema, was formed in the aftermath of the sexual assault of a female actor in a moving car in Kochi in 2017. Though an inquiry report was submitted by the Committee to the Kerala government in 2018, it remained unpublished.
Earlier this year, the State Information Commission (SIC) passed an order on July 6, directing the Kerala government to issue the Hema Committee report to RTI applicants before July 25. The SIC had specified that the report should only be issued after taking down information pertaining to the privacy of individuals, as prohibited under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
On the day of the report’s scheduled release, Sajimon Parayil claimed before the court that the report would affect his right to privacy and that he might become a scapegoat if his name is mentioned in it. He also argued that the disclosure of the report would “breach” confidentiality promised to the witnesses who deposed before the committee, and violate their fundamental right to privacy.
