In a recent relief for the Malayalam actor Siddique, the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to the actor in the case of reported sexual abuse that was filed against him by an actress in the year 2016.
The Supreme Court bench was comprised of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, who ordered the actor to submit his passport to the authorities and cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
The allegation against the veteran actor was followed after the Justice Hema Commission report detailed the alleged harassment and discrimination that was faced by actresses in the Malayalam film industry. During the hearing, the SC bench highlighted that the case was registered in August 2024, which was eight years after the incident had actually taken place.
Interim protection from arrest
The court had initially granted Siddique protection from any arrest in the case on September 30. However, in a recent development in the case, the Kerala Police alleged a lack of cooperation in the investigation by the Malayalam actor.
The report ousted by the Special Investigation Team of Kerala Police asserted that Siddique had been hampering the ongoing probe and has reportedly destroyed evidence, including tampering with electronic devices, and has also deleted his profiles across the various social media platforms.
