When the bench, comprising Justices Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, inquired “whether Siddique was cooperating with the investigation”
![[Actor Siddique Accused In Rape Case] Supreme Court Extends Interim Protection From Arrest](https://i0.wp.com/lawchakra.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/image-90.png?resize=820%2C460&ssl=1)
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (12th Nov) extended until next week the interim anticipatory bail/protection from arrest granted to Malayalam actor Siddique in a rape case filed against him based on allegations from a young actress.
The hearing was adjourned due to the ill health of Siddique’s counsel, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi.
During the hearing, Rohatgi mentioned difficulties in providing the actor’s phone and laptop from 2016, the year of the alleged incident.
When the bench, comprising Justices Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, inquired “whether Siddique was cooperating with the investigation”
Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar for the State responded that while Siddique was appearing before the investigating officer, “he was not cooperating and was giving evasive answers”.
This development came a day after Siddique accused the Kerala Police of fabricating baseless claims against him. In his affidavit, he argued that he had been wrongly made an accused without a proper investigation. He also criticized the police probe team for raising issues not mentioned by the actress in her complaint. Siddique further claimed that the police were orchestrating a media trial based on these unfounded allegations.
The actor emphasized that he is not a “powerful personality” and has mostly appeared in supporting roles throughout his career.
Siddique faces accusations of raping a young actress at a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram.
Previous Hearing:
On October 22, the bench had extended Siddique’s interim anticipatory bail, initially granted on September 30, for another two weeks after senior advocate V Giri, representing Siddique, sought more time to file a response to the Kerala Police’s status report opposing the petition.
Following the interim order, Siddique had appeared before the investigating officer. Ranjit Kumar for Kerala’s State government claimed that Siddique was obstructing the investigation and destroying evidence.
When Justice Trivedi noted that the complaint was filed eight years after the alleged incident, Kumar explained that the victim had gained the courage to come forward with the allegations following the release of the Justice Hema Committee’s report on the mistreatment of women in Malayalam cinema. Kumar requested the court to consider the delay in filing the FIR, highlighting the victim’s response after the report’s publication. The actress alleged that Siddique sexually exploited her in 2016 after offering her opportunities in the film industry.
