The Kerala High Court on Thursday stayed the proceedings in a sexual harassment case against Malayalam actor Unni Mukundan, Bar and Bench reported.

A bench of Justice K Babu passed the order after the court was told that a settlement has been reached between the complainant and the actor.

This is the second time the High Court has stayed proceedings in the case before the Magistrate court.

The woman had filed a police complaint accusing the actor of sexual harassment in 2017. She alleged that Mukundan molested her when she went to his home for a script-reading session. Mukundan also filed a case against the woman, alleging that she has cooked up the charges.

In May 2021, the Kerala High Court had stayed the trial proceedings based on an affidavit about a purported settlement between the parties.

However, the order was lifted in February after the complainant told the court that the stay had been issued on the basis of a false submission by the actor’s lawyer.

The complainant had said that she did not sign the affidavit.

On May 23, the High Court had refused to quash the criminal proceedings against Mukundan and directed that the lower court should dispose of the case within three months, according to Bar and Bench.