Malayalam film director and former MLA P T Kunju Muhammad was arrested in an alleged molestation case involving a woman associated with the cinema industry, police said on Wednesday.

Police said Muhammad appeared before officials probing the case at the Cantonment Police Station on Tuesday. His arrest was formally recorded, after which he was released on bail, as he had earlier secured relief from a court.

Earlier this month, Cantonment Police registered a case against Muhammad following a complaint alleging that he molested the woman at a hotel where they were staying to select Malayalam films for the recently held International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).

The Thiruvananthapuram Additional District and Sessions Court had directed Muhammad to appear before the investigating officer for interrogation within seven days and to cooperate with the investigation. The court had also instructed the police to release him on bail if he was arrested during the probe.

Muhammad is a noted filmmaker and producer whose debut film was Magrib (1993). He later directed Garshom (1998), Paradeshi (2007) and Veeraputhran (2011), films that received critical acclaim and multiple awards. He entered cinema as a producer and actor and was involved in the production of Aswathamavu, Swaroopam and Purushartham, all directed by K R Mohanan. He also acted in the film Uppu (Salt), directed by Pavithran.

Muhammad is among the founder directors of the Malayalam television channel Kairali TV and is currently the presenter of Pravasalokam, a programme focused on tracing missing Kerala expatriates worldwide. He had earlier served as a Left-supported independent MLA in Kerala.