Malayalam actor Siddique has approached the Supreme Court seeking anticipatory bail in a rape case filed against him by an actress [Siddique v State of Kerala]. This move follows the Kerala High Court’s refusal to grant him pre-arrest bail on Tuesday. Represented by advocate Ranjeeta Rohatgi, Siddique has now appealed to the apex court.
The Kerala High Court had observed that the evidence presented indicated Siddique’s possible involvement in the alleged crime. The court also noted that Siddique’s complete denial of the incident raised concerns about him potentially influencing witnesses due to his influential position. It further stated that custodial interrogation was necessary for a thorough investigation.
The allegations against Siddique came to light following the release of the Justice K Hema Committee Report on August 19, which exposed widespread sexual abuse, casting couch practices, and gender discrimination in the Malayalam film industry. The report’s publication has triggered multiple sexual abuse complaints against prominent figures in the industry.
The case against Siddique was filed based on a complaint by an actress, accusing him of raping her at the Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. The actress, who was initially hesitant to approach the police, later sent an email to the State Police Chief, alleging that Siddique raped her after she refused his demands for sexual favors in exchange for a role in a Tamil movie.
The investigation is being conducted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), tasked with handling the sexual abuse cases that emerged after the publication of the Justice Hema Committee report. In his anticipatory bail plea before the High Court, Siddique claimed that the complainant had been harassing him since 2019 with accusations on social media, alleging inappropriate behavior at a theatre in 2016. He further contended that her recent allegations of rape in a different location during the same year were part of a continued effort to defame him.
