The Kerala Police has registered a rape case against Malayalam actor and former general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), an outfit of actors, Siddique.
The case was registered by the Thiruvananthapuram city police under the non-bailable offence of rape based on the complaint by the actress, Indian Express reported.
Earlier this week, the complainant had raised the allegation through the media, following which Siddique was forced to step down as the general secretary of AMMA.
Also Read: Mohanlal resigns as AMMA President amidst controversy; Entire committee steps down
She had come forward after the release of the Hema Committee report, which exposed rampant sexual abuse and flagrant gender injustice in the film industry. Since the release of the report, several actors have come forward to raise allegations against their industry colleagues.
Following this, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the sexual harassment allegations in the Malayalam film industry.
The state police said an FIR was registered under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) at Thiruvananthapuram city police limits. According to the complaint, the crime happened in 2016 at a hotel in the city.
Narrating her ordeal, the actress said that under the garb of a film discussion, Siddique called her to his room in the Mascot Hotel, where he allegedly sexually abused her. “He sexually abused me in that hotel. It was a trap. Whatever he is saying now is completely false,” she said, India Today reported.
The probe will be taken up by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has been constituted to probe the sexual harassment allegations in the Malayalam film industry.
After the FIR was filed, Siddique also lodged a complaint with the Director General of Police (DGP), claiming that the allegations are a vicious attempt to tarnish his image. Claiming innocence, he stated that he met the actress only once in 2016, that too in the presence of her parents.
On Monday, police had also registered a case against director Ranjith, based on a complaint by a Bengali actor that he had misbehaved with her during the pre-production discussion of a 2009 film.
In a dramatic turn of events, on Tuesday, actor Mohanlal stepped down as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The resignation was followed by intense criticism and scrutiny after the release of the Justice K Hema Committee’s findings on harassment within the industry. As a result of the mounting pressure, all members of the executive committee of AMMA also tendered their resignations, including Siddique.