Kochi: An FIR under the POCSO Act has been filed against four persons, including a VHP leader and a film director, on the complaint of a girl who came into limelight during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela and later married her Muslim boyfriend at a temple in Kerala, police said on Thursday.
A senior police officer said VHP leader and advocate Anil Vilayil and film director Sanoj Mishra are among the four accused in the case.
The FIR was registered on Wednesday following a complaint by a girl who accused the director of mistreating her while she was shooting for his film ‘The Diary of Manipur’.
Police officials at Ernakulam Central Police Station said the allegation against Vilayil is that he defamed the complainant on social media platforms.
The complainant also appeared before a magistrate who recorded her confidential statement on Thursday evening, police said.
Officials said the case will be handed over to the Madhya Pradesh police as the alleged incident took place in that state.
Police said the case is also related to a marriage dispute after the girl’s parents claimed she was 16 years old and filed a complaint against her husband Farman at the Maheshwar police station in Madhya Pradesh.
However, the girl claimed to be 18 years old.
A Madhya Pradesh Police team recently visited Kerala to investigate the matter. On April 8, the Kerala High Court granted Farman interim protection from arrest till May 20.
Earlier this month, the girl filed a petition for protection with the state police chief and Kochi city police commissioner, alleging that they tried to forcibly take her to Madhya Pradesh.
CPI(M) leaders, including state secretary MV Govindan, minister V Sivankutty and Rajya Sabha MP AA Rahim, attended the wedding at a temple in Thiruvananthapuram last month.
