Thiruvananthapuram: The court granted bail to actor Siddique on Friday, following his arrest by the state police’s special investigation team. This was in connection with a rape case filed by an actress, who accused the actor of assaulting her several years ago.

The court instructed Siddique to submit his passport, cooperate with the investigation, and provide a Rs 1 lakh surety as part of his bail conditions. The Supreme Court had earlier granted him anticipatory bail in November, with the condition that he must appear before the police when required. It also stated that if his arrest was recorded, he should be released on bail.

Siddique voluntarily presented himself to the police on Friday. After being questioned, his arrest was officially recorded, and he was later produced before the court.

In its submission, the police informed the court that Siddique had not been cooperating with the investigation and that they would need to question him further.

The case against Siddique was registered after the actress accused him of raping her at a state-owned hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. The actress had initially hesitated to file a police complaint but later emailed the state police chief, alleging that Siddique had assaulted her after she refused to provide sexual favours in exchange for a role in a movie.

The actor, who had recently been elected as the General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), resigned from his post after the allegations came to light. The entire AMMA Executive Committee, led by President Mohanlal, also resigned in solidarity.

Siddique has denied the allegations, claiming the actress had been harassing him since 2019, making false claims about his behaviour. He also argued that after the Justice Hema Committee report on the condition of women in the Malayalam film industry was released, the actress made more serious accusations against him.

Siddique’s troubles began when the Kerala High Court rejected his anticipatory bail on September 24. He went missing for a short time, and the police were unable to trace him. He reappeared after the Supreme Court granted him bail on September 30 and directed him to cooperate with the investigation.

The case against Siddique is part of a wider investigation sparked by the explosive Justice Hema Committee report, which highlighted issues related to women in the Malayalam film industry. Following the report, several actresses came forward with their allegations, prompting the police to register 11 FIRs against various film personalities.

IANS