- By Aditi Priya Singh
- Mon, 09 Mar 2026 05:34 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Malayalam film Manjummel Boys director Chidambaram S Poduval has been granted conditional bail by the Ernakulam District and Sessions Court in connection with the sexual harassment case. The case is linked to an incident that took place in May 2022. While granting the anticipatory bail, the court has set some conditions for the director.
Actress Had Filed The Complaint
The case was lodged by the actress on February 28, 2026, at the Ernakulam South Police Station. In the complaint, the actress accused the filmmaker of misbehaving with her at an apartment in Kochi in 2022.
As a result of the complaint lodged by the actress against the filmmaker, the authorities booked a case against the former Union minister under Section 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to the insulting modesty of a woman, and Section 75 of the BNS, which pertains to sexual harassment.
Chidambaram’s Response To Allegations
Manjummel Boys director Chidambaram S Poduval (Image: IMDb)
According to a report by Live Law, a counter-petition has been filed by Chidambaram in court. In his petition, he claimed that he had met the complainant during the filming of the movie Manjummel Boys, in which the actress was being considered for a role.
He claimed that his behaviour with the actress was totally professional. He further claimed that the complainant had started a campaign against him with the intention of damaging his reputation.
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Social Media Post And Legal Action
The complainant had earlier posted an Instagram reel against the filmmaker for sexual harassment. Following this, Chidambaram reportedly filed a defamation case against her in the Bombay High Court and sought damages. An interim order was passed by the Bombay High Court in December 2025, restraining the complainant from posting any defamatory content against Chidambaram on any social media platform.
What The Court Said?
While granting bail, the court noted that Chidambaram has no prior criminal record. Another thing that the court mentioned was that the nature of the allegations did not require any interrogation.
It was also mentioned that the incident took place in the year 2022, and there was a delay of around four years in the petition. The court also mentioned that Chidambaram must cooperate fully with the police investigation, as was mentioned in the interim order of the Bombay High Court.