Unni Mukundan Faces Trial in Sexual Harassment Case as Kerala High Court Lifts Stay, Rejects Acquittal Petition

Previously, in February 2023, the court had granted a stay based on the presumption of a settlement. However, it was revealed that the complainant had never agreed to any settlement, and a forged document claiming otherwise had been submitted by Mukundan's lawyer, Saiby Jose Kidangoor.

It is important to note that Kidangoor, the lawyer in question, is embroiled in a separate bribery case, where he allegedly accepted large sums of money to influence judges. The complainant maintained that she had never agreed to a settlement, which was acknowledged by the High Court during the Tuesday morning hearing. The court further noted that since the victim had expressed her desire to proceed with the case and not seek a settlement, there was no reason to halt the proceedings. Consequently, the court ruled in favor of the complainant, and Mukundan will now face trial.

The sexual harassment case stems from an incident on August 23, 2017, when the victim visited Mukundan at his residence in Edappally, Kochi, to discuss a film project. The complaint was filed on September 15, 2017. Mukundan has denied the allegations and filed a defamation case against the victim, additionally accusing her of demanding a settlement amount of ₹25 lakhs.

Mukundan had previously filed petitions in the magistrate and session court, seeking to have the case dismissed. However, both courts rejected his petitions, leading the actor to approach the High Court in his quest for acquittal.

Unni Mukundan made his debut in 2011 with the Tamil film 'Seedan' and has since actively appeared in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu movies. He also established his production banner, Unni Mukundan Films, in August 2020.