Actor Siddique asks Kerala High Court for interim bail

Besides Siddique, several other figures in the Malayalam film industry, including actors Mukesh, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju and director Ranjith, have been implicated in cases of sexual abuse. These allegations came to light after the Hema Commission report, which revealed disturbing details of crimes against women in the industry.

The court is expected to hear the anticipatory bail pleas in the film industry’s sexual harassment cases on Monday. The hearing comes after actor Mukesh’s five-day protection from arrest. The investigating team is keeping a close watch on whether Mukesh will be granted anticipatory bail before the period ends. The anticipatory bail plea of ​​VS Chandrasekharan, chairman of the KPCC’s legal aid cell and chief of the Lawyers Congress, will also be considered.

If the court decides to extend the stay of arrests, the investigation team will meet to determine the next steps. Since many of these incidents occurred years ago, the team will assess how to proceed if there is insufficient evidence. The investigations are guided by the Supreme Court ruling that cases can be prosecuted based on the testimony of the survivor alone.

Collection of evidence

The investigation team is actively collecting evidence and has inspected various locations in Kochi, including the AMMA office, a hotel in Kathrikadavu and another in Fort Kochi. The inspection of the AMMA office followed a complaint by an actress who alleged that she was harassed when she wanted to join. This inspection is part of a broader investigation involving Edavela Babu and Mukesh.