Malayalam actor Siddique has moved the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail after the Kerala High Court denied his pre-arrest bail in a rape case filed by a fellow actress. The High Court cited evidence suggesting his possible involvement in the alleged crime.
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NEW DELHI: Malayalam actor Siddique has moved to the Supreme Court, seeking anticipatory bail in connection with a rape case filed against him by a fellow actress. This comes after the Kerala High Court refused to grant him pre-arrest bail on Tuesday(24th Sept), leading to an appeal before the apex court, filed by his legal counsel, advocate Ranjeeta Rohatgi.
The High Court’s refusal to grant bail was based on its observation that the available evidence prima facie indicated Siddique’s possible involvement in the alleged crime.
“The evidence presented suggests that Siddique may be involved in the crime.”
-the court had noted.
This statement from the court further complicates the actor’s situation as he continues to maintain his innocence.
The court highlighted that Siddique’s defense centered on a complete denial of the incident. “His defense was one of total denial of the incident,” the High Court remarked. However, the court felt that given the actor’s influence in the industry, there was a risk of him attempting to tamper with or influence witnesses. This suspicion formed the foundation of the court’s decision to deny bail, as it stated-
“It raises valid concerns that the influential actor may try to sway witnesses.”
Adding further, the High Court mentioned that Siddique’s custodial interrogation was crucial for a thorough investigation into the case. “Custodial interrogation of the actor is inevitable for a proper investigation of the case,” the court noted in its ruling. The court’s emphasis on the necessity of custodial interrogation indicates that the authorities view this step as vital to uncovering the truth in the case.
The allegations against the actor surfaced shortly after the public release of the much-anticipated Justice K Hema Committee Report on August 19 of this year. The report, which exposed widespread sexual abuse, ‘casting couch’ practices, and deep-rooted gender discrimination in the Malayalam film industry, has created a massive stir within the industry. Its revelations have led to a surge in sexual abuse accusations against several prominent figures in Malayalam cinema. The report revealed large-scale sexual abuse, ‘casting couch’ practices, and entrenched gender discrimination in the Malayalam film industry.
The case against Siddique was lodged following a complaint from a female actress who alleged that he raped her at the Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. According to the actress, she initially hesitated to file a formal police complaint. However, she later emailed the State Police Chief, alleging that Siddique had raped her after she refused his demands for sexual favors in exchange for a role in a Tamil movie. This serious accusation places Siddique at the center of a high-profile investigation.
The Kerala police have handed the case over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was specifically formed to look into the numerous sexual abuse cases that have emerged following the publication of the Justice Hema Committee report. The SIT is expected to carry out a detailed investigation into the claims. The police believe that the nature of the allegations, along with the broader industry practices uncovered by the report, necessitates a comprehensive probe.
The investigation into this case is being handled by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe the sexual abuse cases emerging after the publication of the Justice Hema Committee report.
In his plea before the High Court seeking anticipatory bail, Siddique claimed that the accusations were baseless and part of a campaign to tarnish his reputation. According to Siddique, the woman has been harassing him since 2019 by repeatedly making defamatory claims about him on social media. “In his petition seeking anticipatory bail before the High Court, Siddique claimed that the woman complainant has been harassing him since 2019 by making repeated claims on social media.”
The actor further argued that the complainant’s allegations have now escalated, with her accusing him of a far more serious offense at a different location. His petition stated-
“Further, she has now made a more serious allegation of rape at a different place in the same year.”
Siddique’s legal team maintains that the claims are exaggerated and fabricated, intending to damage his career and public image.
