Crucial bail hearing for actor Siddique in rape case: SC to decide today

Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam actor Siddique, who received anticipatory bail from the Supreme Court last month in a rape case filed by an actress, will find out his fate on Tuesday. The court will decide if he can be granted permanent bail. The police investigation team claims he has not cooperated and is asking for him to be interrogated in custody.

On Monday, Siddique's lawyer submitted a statement saying that he has cooperated with the police, having been questioned twice earlier this month. He mentioned that he provided all the information he could, but he could not hand over some items, like an old mobile phone, because it is no longer traceable.

This case comes in the wake of the shocking Justice Hema Committee report on women's conditions in the Malayalam film industry, released in August. Following this report, numerous allegations against prominent figures in the industry surfaced.

The police case against Siddique was filed after an actress accused him of raping her in a state-owned hotel in 2016. Although she was initially hesitant to report him, she later emailed the state police chief, claiming he assaulted her after she refused to comply with his demands for sexual favors in exchange for a role in a Tamil film.

After these allegations, Siddique, who was recently elected General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), stepped down. The entire Executive Committee, led by President Mohanlal, also resigned.

In court, Siddique argued that the actress has been harassing him since 2019, making repeated claims on social media about a molestation incident in 2016. After the Justice Hema Committee report, she escalated her accusations to include rape.

Siddique's troubles began when the Kerala High Court denied him anticipatory bail on September 24. Shortly after, he went missing, and police could not locate him. He returned after September 30 when the Supreme Court granted him bail and ordered him to meet with the investigation team.

As more former actresses spoke out about their negative experiences, police acted quickly, filing 11 FIRs against various personalities in the film industry. Among those facing allegations are actor-turned-CPM legislator Mukesh Madhavan, Nivin Pauly, Jayasurya, and several others, including Siddique. Mukesh, Ranjith, Raju, Prakash, and Jayasurya have received court relief from arrest, while Siddique was the first actor to seek anticipatory bail, which was ultimately granted by the Supreme Court.

Agency