Supreme Court today extended the interim anticipatory bail granted to Malayalam actor Siddique, who is facing a rape case.
The case was filed against him during the #MeToo wave that hit Mollywood, following the release of the redacted Hema Committee report.
On September 30, the Supreme Court had granted him interim anticipatory bail. The Kerala High Court had dismissed Siddique's petition for anticipatory bail, citing evidence indicating his prima facie involvement in the alleged crime.
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According to the complainant, the incident occurred in 2016 in Thiruvananthapuram, after the preview of Siddique’s film Sukhamaayirikkatte at Nila Theatre. She alleged that Siddique called her to Muscat Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram under the pretext of discussing a film, and raped and assaulted her. The FIR was filed at the Museum Police Station in the state capital. Though the complainant first raised allegations against Siddique in 2019, she formally lodged a complaint only after the release of the Justice K. Hema Committee Report.
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Earlier, in a status report submitted to the Supreme Court, the Kerala Police had opposed Siddique's bail plea, saying there is a “stockpile of evidence against him”. The report expressed concerns that, given Siddique's influence, evidence could be tampered with and witnesses intimidated. "Witnesses who have bravely come forward after the release of the Justice Hema Commission report may withdraw if the interim protection for the accused is extended indefinitely," the police report noted.
However, the Supreme Court raised questions about the eight-year delay in filing a formal complaint. The prosecution argued that the victim only gained the courage to come forward after the publication of the Hema Committee report, which exposed widespread issues in the Malayalam film industry.
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Despite this, the court extended Siddique's interim bail for two weeks. The bench, comprising Justices Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, adjourned the hearing after Siddique’s counsel requested time to respond to the police's status report.
