In a recent development, the Kerala High Court has put a temporary hold on the release of the Justice K Hema Committee Report, which examines the working conditions of women in the film industry. The report was scheduled to be made available at 4 PM today to journalists who had petitioned the State Information Commission (SIC) for its disclosure.
The stay order, issued by Justice PM Manoj, is valid for one week and arose from a petition by Malayalam film producer Sajimon Parayil. Parayil contended that releasing the report could negatively impact the film industry, compromising individuals' privacy, breaching confidentiality, and potentially harming the reputations and livelihoods of those who provided their viewpoints and testimonials.
The Kerala government had established the Hema Committee following a 2017 petition by the 'Women in Cinema Collective' to address the issues faced by women in the film industry. Despite the committee submitting its report in 2019, the government did not release it to the public, despite multiple requests under the Right to Information Act. On July 5 of this year, the State Information Commission ordered the disclosure of the report with certain redactions.
Parayil's petition argued that the redactions ordered by the SIC were insufficient and that the SIC's order violated public interest and the right to privacy of several individuals, including Parayil himself. The plea also highlighted concerns about breaching the confidentiality assured to those who provided testimony, potentially exposing them to retaliation and harassment.
During today's hearing, the Standing Counsel for the State Information Commission and the Government Pleader questioned Parayil's right to file the petition, arguing that he only had a private interest. Advocate M Ajay, representing the SIC, emphasized the public's right to know the report's findings, given that it was commissioned to improve the film industry's conditions.
Advocate Saiby Jose Kidangoor, representing Parayil, argued that the report's release could infringe on his client's right to privacy and urged the Court to delay the release to allow affected parties to raise objections. Ajay countered that all personal details had been redacted and questioned the necessity of delaying the report's release based on Parayil's concerns.
Despite the arguments, the Court decided to issue an interim stay on the report's release, opting to hear the matter in more detail at a later date.
Advocates Benny Antony Parel, PM Mohammed Salih, Nazrin Banu, Ameer Salim, and Irene Mathew also represented Parayil, while Advocate M Ajay appeared for the State Information Commission.
TAGS: Kerala High Court Justice K Hema Committee Report women's working conditions film industry Sajimon Parayil State Information Commission privacy confidentiality interim stay RTI Act Women's in Cinema Collective.
