New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim protection from arrest to Malayalam film actor Siddique in a rape case.

A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma issued notice to the Kerala government and the victim in the case during the hearing of a plea by Siddique challenging a Kerala High Court order which denied him anticipatory bail. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Siddique, submitted that a complaint was lodged in 2024 after a lapse of eight years.

At the outset, the top court asked advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the victim, about the reason for the delay in registering the complaint against the actor.

The lawyer told the bench that the Justice Hema Committee report, which exposed the shocking harassment and sexual exploitation faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, has to be understood in the larger context.

On September 24, the high court had rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Siddique in the rape case, saying that in view of the seriousness of the accusations he was facing, his custodial interrogation was inevitable for proper investigation of the crime.

Siddique, who was booked for offences under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), has claimed in his plea that the complainant female actor had subjected him to a "prolonged campaign of harassment and false accusations since 2019".

Actor on run

Actor Siddique is reportedly on the run after the Kerala High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea in connection with a rape and criminal intimidation case. The case, filed by a young actor, is currently under investigation by a Special Investigation Team of the Kerala government.

The museum police in Thiruvananthapuram registered the case against Siddique on August 27. Siddique has denied the allegations and filed a counter-complaint against the accuser. A comprehensive court order is awaited in the case.

The Case

According to the actress, the incident of sexual abuse occurred in 2016 at the hotel. The SIT has completed a thorough inspection of the hotel’s documents and records, led by the Cantonment Assistant Commissioner. They collected information from the hotel’s computer systems and guest register to substantiate the claims.

The actress asserts that her name appears in the hotel’s guest register from the date in question. The police had officially registered the case against Siddique, if he is found guilty he could face a prison sentence of up to seven years.

Following the allegations against him, Siddique resigned from his position as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The entire 17-member executive committee of AMMA also resigned in response to the controversy.

Prominent industry figures, including director Ranjith and actors Mukesh, Jayasurya, and Edavela Babu, have also faced serious accusations of harassment.

The surge in these allegations follows the release of the Justice Hema Committee report on August 19, which shed light on the widespread harassment, exploitation, and mistreatment of women in the Malayalam film industry. The report revealed that a small group of male producers, directors, and actors, numbering around 10 to 15, dominate and exert control over the industry.

(Agency inputs)