Kerala HC rejects Malayalam actor Siddique’s anticipatory bail plea

Now that the Supreme Court has rejected his interim bail, it appears likely that he will be arrested soon.

Also Read: Rape Case Registered Against Malayalam Actor Siddique

Siddique’s Petition

According to the actress, Siddique invited her to the hotel on the pretext that they wanted to discuss the film, after which he attacked her.

According to Livelaw, actor Siddique has alleged in his petition that the complainant, who is an ardent supporter and member of Women’s Cinema Collective (WCC), is making these allegations because he conducted the press meet along with other officials of the Association of Malayalam Movie Actors (AMMA) after the release of the Justice Hema Committee report.

The actress also pointed out that the same prosecutor had previously made allegations against him in 2019, but had now changed the details in hopes of having him arrested for non-bailable crimes.

The complaint

The complaint, filed by the actress, dates back to 2016 when she alleged that Siddique had sexually exploited her at the Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram. The two had allegedly attended a movie preview show at the Nila Theatre on the same day.

Police investigation yielded corroborating evidence, including hotel records from eight years ago, confirming the actress’s presence at the Mascot Hotel.

While Siddique has maintained that he met the complainant in the presence of her parents, the court’s decision to deny bail indicates that serious consideration must be given to the evidence supporting the actress’s claims.

After filing the complaint, Siddique resigned as secretary general of the actors’ association AMMA.

Meanwhile, the SIT, constituted by the Kerala government, is questioning Kollam MP Mukesh in connection with a sexual harassment case.

The interrogation is being led by AIG G Poonkuzhali at the Coastal Police headquarters in Ernakulam.

Mukesh had earlier been granted interim bail by the Ernakulam court, which directed him to report before the investigating officer at 9 am every day and stay for as long as required to fulfil the procedural requirements of the investigation.

Report of the Hema Commission

The Kerala government formed the Justice Hema Committee after the 2017 actress sexual assault case. The report revealed cases of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.

The publication of the Justice K Hema Commission report opened a Pandora’s box, with several female actors coming forward with disturbing stories of abuse they faced at the hands of their male colleagues.

The Hema Commission report was made public on August 19, five years after it was submitted to the Kerala government.

Following this, the government set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation of women in Malayalam cinemas. The SIT is expected to take further legal action based on the findings of the Hema Commission report.

Sources reveal that there are more than 20 cases with serious allegations. The complainants in these cases will be contacted and legal proceedings will be initiated with their consent. Further, the SIT has decided that if the persons give new statements, the team will proceed with necessary legal action.

(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula, with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman)