Court rejects actor Unni Mukundan's plea in sexual harassment case

Malayalam actor Unni Mukundan faced another setback on Tuesday when the Kerala High Court directed the initiation of a trial against him in an assault case filed in 2017. The court reportedly ordered Mukundan to stand trial in the case of outraging the modesty of a woman. In February, the court lifted the stay granted by it previously in the harassment case.

The incident unfolded in 2017 when a woman filed a sexual harassment case against Mukundan. Reportedly, the alleged assault occurred when the woman visited the actor's residence in Kochi to discuss a movie on August 13, 2017. She claimed that Mukundan made an attempt to sexually assault her. Subsequently, she reported the incident on September 15, 2017, leading to the initiation of legal proceedings.

The Kerala HC granted the stay after Mukundan had filed a forged affidavit in court, claiming that a settlement has been reached between the two parties. But later, the litigator's counsel filed a complaint, stating that the affidavit was in fact, fabricated and no settlement was achieved. Pointing to this false information, the Kerala High Court lifted the previously granted stay.

In response to the allegations, Mukundan filed a countercase and denied the accusations. He alleged that the woman had demanded Rs. 25L in order for her not to file a case. Subsequently, the actor filed a plea seeking to quash the harassment case. The High Court observed that there was no reason to quash the case as the complainant was not ready to settle.

Amidst ongoing legal proceedings, Mukundan appeared in films like Mallikapuram—directed by Vishnu Sasi Shankar, and Yashoda—featuring Samantha Ruth Prabhu in 2022, which emerged as hits at the box office. The actor is currently shooting for the fantasy drama Gandharva Jr., directed by Vishnu Aravind. Additionally, he has landed a lead role in the action-packed movie Bruce Lee, directed by the renowned filmmaker Vysakh.