Justice CS Dias, who presided over the case, denied the actor’s bail application after reviewing key evidence presented by the investigation team, raising the possibility of his arrest soon.
Published Sep 24, 2024 | 12:53 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 24, 2024 | 12:53 PM
Actor Siddique.
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday, 24 September, rejected Malayalam actor Siddique’s anticipatory bail plea in connection with a sexual harassment complaint filed by a young actress.
The Thiruvananthapuram Museum Police had registered a case against Siddique on 28 August, which includes charges of rape, under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code.
Justice CS Dias, who presided over the case, denied the actor’s bail application after reviewing key evidence presented by the investigation team, raising the possibility of his arrest soon.
With the high court’s rejection of his anticipatory bail, his arrest soon seems likely.
According to the actress, Siddique invited her to the hotel under the pretext of discussing the film and then assaulted her.
According to Livelaw, actor Siddique in his petition said 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 officer bearers of the Association of Malayalam Movie Actors (AMMA) after the release of Justice Hema Committee report.
The actor also pointed out that the same complainant had raised some allegations against him in 2019, but she changed the details now intending to get him booked under non-bailable offences.
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 reportedly attended a movie preview show at the Nila Theatre on the same day.
Police investigations found corroborating evidence, including hotel records from eight years ago, which confirm 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 reject his bail suggests serious consideration of the evidence supporting the actress’s claims.
Following the filing of the complaint, Siddique resigned from his position as the general secretary of AMMA, the actors’ association.
Meanwhile, the SIT constituted by the Kerala government is interrogating Kollam MLA Mukesh in connection with a sexual harassment case.
The questioning is being led by AIG G Poonkuzhali at the coastal police headquarters in Ernakulam.
Mukesh had previously received anticipatory bail from the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court, which stipulated that he must report to the investigating officer at 9 AM on any given day and stay as long as necessary to fulfil the procedural requirements of the investigation.
The Kerala government constituted the Justice Hema Committee after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.
The publication of the Justice K Hema Committee report opened a can of worms with several female actors stepping forward with disturbing accounts of the mistreatment they faced at the hands of their various male counterparts.
The Hema Commission report was made public on 19 August, five years after it was submitted to the Kerala government.
Following this the government appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation of women in Malayalam cinema. The SIT is set to take further legal action based on the findings of the Hema Committee report.
Sources reveal that there are over 20 cases involving serious allegations. The complainants in these cases will be contacted, and legal proceedings will be initiated with their consent. Further, the SIT decided that if the individuals provide new statements, the team will move forward with the necessary legal steps.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula, with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman)
