Kochi: The court has stated that there is prima facie evidence against director Ranjith in the sexual assault case. The Ernakulam First Class Judicial Magistrate Court clarified that bail was being granted after considering his health condition and the fact that the offences charged carry a maximum sentence of less than five years.

The court further noted that it was not entering into the factual merits of the allegations at this stage. The copy of the court order has been released.

The director was granted bail under strict conditions. Considering the possibility of evidence tampering or witness intimidation, he has been prohibited from visiting the shooting location where the incident allegedly occurred. There is also a condition that he must not leave Ernakulam district. Ranjith was released from prison after obtaining bail.

Upon his release, Ranjith was not ready to comment. However, he argued in court that he had not committed sexual assault. He contended that the movie set consisted of around 250 crew members and that such an assault would not be possible in such a place. He further claimed that certain scenes featuring the actress had to be cut due to her poor performance, and she had been informed of this. The complaint was filed out of the resulting enmity.