Malayalam actor Nivin Pauly cleared of sexual assault charges
What's the story
Malayalam actor Nivin Pauly has been officially cleared of sexual assault charges on Wednesday. The allegations were leveled by a woman from Neriamangalam, Kerala, who alleged Pauly sexually assaulted her in Dubai on the pretext of offering her a film role in November 2023. However, an inquiry into the matter conclusively proved Pauly wasn't present at the alleged location at the time of the reported incident.
Legal proceedings
Pauly was the sixth accused in the case
The actor, who was named the sixth accused in this case, has now been officially cleared of all charges. This was meticulously detailed in a report filed by DYSP Kothamangalam with the First Class Magistrate Court. The case first came to light in September when the complainant approached a Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed after the release of the Hema Committee report on sexual misconduct in cinema.
Actor's stance
Pauly's response to allegations and subsequent legal battle
Earlier, Pauly had addressed the allegations at a press conference saying, "An FIR (First Information Report) has been registered against me. I will fight it legally." He said he would go to any lengths to prove his innocence as such fake allegations can be made against anyone. The actor also termed it a conspiracy and clarified he didn't know the accuser nor had he spoken to her.