Supreme Court extends interim bail granted to Kerala actor Siddique in rape case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended by two weeks the interim bail granted to Malayalam actor Siddique in the rape case filed against him. The bench of Justices Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma also adjourned the hearing as the actor’s counsel sought time to file the rejoinder to the report submitted by the Kerala Police last week.
Seeking his custodial interrogation, the police told the top court that there was a “stockpile of evidence” against the actor and alleged that Siddique was “not cooperating at all” with the investigation. They also said the actor claimed he could not recollect the events dating to the said period.
“The petitioner (Siddique) absconded. He resurfaced only after a week once the Supreme Court granted interim protection. All this highlights the unwillingness of the accused to cooperate with the investigating agency and also bide time to destroy evidence and turn circumstances in his favour,” the police said in its report.
Siddique, who has starred in over 300 films, mainly in Malayalam, faces charges of raping a woman actor on the pretext of discussing a “non-existent” film project at a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016.
While Siddique has termed the allegations “baseless” and part of an attempt to tarnish his image, the special investigation team of the Kerala police have found evidence of the alleged assault at the said hotel and argued in the high court against granting him anticipatory bail.
The Kerala HC, in its ruling on September 24, observed that the actor’s custodial interrogation was inevitable for proper investigation into the crime, considering the gravity and seriousness of the accusations and the materials placed on record by the Special Investigation Team pointing to his prima facie involvement.
Following the allegations, Siddique resigned as the general secretary of the actors’ body — Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) — in August.
The allegations from several female actors and women in the Malayalam film industry came in the backdrop of the release of the Justice Hema committee report on the working conditions of women in the Malayalam film industry.