Kochi: The Justice K. Hema Commission report on the challenges faced by women in the film industry is set to be released. The Kerala High Court has dismissed a petition by film producer Sajimon Parayil requesting that the report not be made public. The court has advised that the report be released while maintaining privacy.
The report was scheduled to be released by the state government on July 24. Sajimon Parayil approached the court on that day, seeking to prevent the report’s release. The report will be provided to those who have requested it under the Right to Information Act. The government decided to release the report based on an order from the Information Commission. The petitioner had requested a stay on the commission’s order and sought to prevent the release of the report.
The Information Commission’s position was that the report holds public interest, and suggested that parts of it be released while safeguarding privacy. The State Women’s Commission and the Women in Cinema Collective, which were parties to the case, also supported the release of the report with privacy protections. The High Court issued a stay on the petition just as the government was about to release the report.
The Justice K. Hema Commission was appointed by the government to study issues related to the film industry.