Kerala High Court denies Malayalam actor Siddique interim bail in sexual abuse case

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday (September 24) dismissed the anticipatory bail plea filed by actor Siddique, seeking bail in a case involving sexual abuse of a female actor. The decision comes after an ongoing probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe incidents of sexual misconduct in the industry.

The allegations were brought to light by a female actor, who filed a complaint, leading to a First Information Report (FIR) being registered by the Thiruvananthapuram police.

Siddique has categorically denied the allegations and an extended court order is pending.

This legal development follows Siddique’s request for provisional release on September 2, in response to a rape case filed against him.

The Malayalam film industry has recently been rocked by the ‘Me Too’ movement, which brought several allegations of sexual abuse to light.

Following the allegations, Siddique resigned as General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), along with the entire 17-member executive committee.

Several female actors have made serious allegations against prominent figures in the industry, including director Ranjith and actors Mukesh, Siddique and others.

Besides Siddique, other actors like Mukesh, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu and Maniyanpilla Raju have also been involved in sexual abuse cases.

The increase in these allegations followed the publication of the Justice Hema Committee report, which revealed disturbing reports of harassment, exploitation and systematic abuse of women in the industry.

The report, made public on August 19 after redacting the names of witnesses and suspects, noted that the Malayalam film industry is controlled by about 10 to 15 male producers, directors and actors who dominate and exercise control over the industry.