In a recent decision, the Kerala High Court granted bail to prominent businessman Boby Chemmanur, who has been in judicial custody since January 9 following his arrest in a sexual harassment case. The case was filed by a female Malayalam actor alleging inappropriate behavior by Chemmanur during a public event.
Justice P V Kunhikrishnan, presiding over the bail hearing, noted that Chemmanur had already surrendered his passport to the court and confirmed his availability for ongoing police investigations. The judge announced that a detailed order would follow by 3:30 pm on Tuesday.
During the court proceedings, Justice Kunhikrishnan acknowledged the possibility of a “double meaning” in Chemmanur’s remarks about the female actor, which the court found potentially offensive. Moreover, the prosecution highlighted that Chemmanur’s social media activities generally contained sexually colored remarks, arguing that granting him bail could send a negative message to society.
However, the court reasoned that a message had already been sent through Chemmanur’s detention since his arrest on January 8 in Wayanad and subsequent denial of bail by the Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-II.
In his bail plea, Chemmanur refuted the allegations, describing them as false and baseless. He detailed his long-standing public and professional relationship with the complainant, noting her previous participations as the chief guest at the inaugurations of three of his jewelry stores. The most recent event took place on August 7, 2024, at the Chemmanur International Jewellery showroom in Alakode, Kannur, where the alleged misconduct occurred.
According to the complaint, during the event, Chemmanur made unwelcome sexual advances towards the actress after placing a necklace around her neck. This behavior is central to the charges against him, which include making “sexually colored remarks” under Section 75(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and transmitting obscene material in electronic form under Section 67 of the IT Act.
