The Kerala High Court has dismissed the anticipatory bail application of actor Siddique, who was accused of rape following the release of the Justice K. Hema Committee Report. Justice CS Dias delivered the ruling, rejecting Siddique’s request for pre-arrest bail, reported Live Law. The case stems from a complaint that alleges Siddique invited the alleged victim to Muscot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram under the pretext of discussing a film project.
According to her, it was there that Siddique raped and assaulted her. This complaint was lodged with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to look into incidents of sexual harassment within the Malayalam film industry. An FIR was subsequently filed at the Museum Police Station in Thiruvananthapuram.
In his petition, Siddique claimed that the complainant, a known supporter and member of the Women’s Cinema Collective (WCC), had fabricated these allegations in retaliation for his press conference alongside other officials from the Association of Malayalam Movie Actors (AMMA) after the release of the Justice Hema Committee report. He pointed out that the complainant had previously made allegations against him in 2019, but claimed she has since altered her story to strengthen her case against him.
The state’s counsel countered Siddique’s claims, arguing that although there may be slight inconsistencies in the complainant’s statements, she has consistently named the actor as the perpetrator since 2019.
The plea was filed by Adv. Philip T. Varghese, with Adv. Sujesh Menon V. B. and Senior Counsel Adv. B. Raman Pillai representing the case. A comprehensive order from the court is still pending as the legal proceedings continue to unfold.