On Tuesday, the Kerala High Court denied anticipatory bail to Malayalam actor Siddique in connection with a rape case filed by an actress.
The allegations against Siddique emerged following the public release of the Justice Hima Committee Report on August 19, which exposed widespread sexual abuse, ‘casting couch’ practices, and entrenched gender discrimination within the Malayalam film industry. The report’s revelations have led to a surge of allegations against numerous actors, directors, and other industry figures.
In his petition for anticipatory bail, Siddique alleged that the complainant has harassed him since 2019 with accusations of inappropriate behaviour at a theatre, he contended that her more recent and serious claim of rape appears to be an effort to create grounds for his arrest. Siddique’s petition argues that the evolving narrative indicates a potential fabrication of charges, citing discrepancies in her statements and asserting that his arrest is unnecessary for gathering evidence.
The complaint against Siddique was filed by an actress who claimed he raped her at the Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. Although she was initially reluctant to file a police complaint, she eventually reached out to the State Police Chief via email, stating that Siddique assaulted her after she declined his demands for sexual favours in return for a role in a Tamil movie. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate the multiple sexual abuse allegations that have arisen following the committee report’s publication.