Supreme Court Orders Bail For Malayalam Actor Siddique In Rape Case

Actor Siddique gets anticipatory bail from SC in rape case Actor gets protection in long-pending case. The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to Malayalam actor Siddique in connection with a sexual assault case filed against him in 2016. The case was initiated by an actress and gained traction after the release of Justice Hema Commission’s report on harassment and discrimination against women in Malayalam cinema.

Court Sets Conditions For Bail

A three-judge bench consisting of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma stated that Siddique should deposit his passport and cooperate with the inquiry fully. The court observed that the complaint had been filed in August 2023, more than eight years since the supposed incident.

Hindrance Alleged During Investigation

In the status report by the Kerala Police, Siddique was charged with non-cooperation by the investigating agency. The actor was accused of destroying electronic evidence and deleting his social networking sites, which hindered the progress of the probe.

Previous Court Developments

This ruling comes in the wake of its order on September 30 wherein it had granted Siddique interim protection from arrest. However, the Kerala High Court had rejected Siddique’s anticipatory bail plea on September 24, considering custodial interrogation on account of the seriousness of charges leveled against him.

The allegations against Siddique are tied up with larger questions brought to fore in the Justice Hema Commission report, which exposed systemic abuse in the Malayalam film industry. An investigation like Siddique’s case is under public and legal scrutiny now.

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