November 19, 2024: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to Malayalam actor Siddique in a rape case filed by an actress. The court made the interim anticipatory bail, which was granted on September 30, permanent. The bench, led by Justices Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, ordered the actor to fully cooperate with the investigation and surrender his passport to the authorities.
The case against Siddique emerged as part of a larger wave of sexual misconduct allegations that have swept through the Malayalam film industry, following the release of the Justice K Hema Committee report in August 2024. The report highlighted widespread sexual abuse and gender discrimination within the industry, sparking numerous accusations from actresses and industry professionals.
In her complaint, the actress accused Siddique of raping her at the Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. However, the complainant’s delay in filing the complaint — almost eight years after the alleged incident — raised questions during the court proceedings. The Supreme Court bench noted that the complainant had made sexual abuse allegations against 14 individuals, including Siddique, in a Facebook post back in 2018. Additionally, the court pointed out that she had not approached the Justice K Hema Committee, which was specifically set up to address sexual abuse allegations in the film industry.
During the hearing, the court asked why it had taken the complainant so long to come forward with her formal complaint, given the timeline of her Facebook post and the subsequent public revelations about the industry’s abuse culture.
"Considering the fact that the complainant had lodged the complaint almost eight years after the alleged incident in 2016, and she had also posted on Facebook somewhere in 2018 making allegations about 14 people, including the appellant, with regard to alleged sexual abuse meted out, and as also the fact that she had not gone to the Hema Committee... We are inclined to accept the present appeal subject to conditions," the bench observed.
Advocate Vrinda Grover, representing the complainant, argued that the survivor only found the courage to come forward after the release of the Hema Committee report and the Kerala High Court’s intervention. Grover emphasized that the survivor’s decision to file a formal complaint was influenced by the public revelations that followed the report, which shed light on systemic abuse within the industry.
The court’s order comes amid mounting scrutiny of the Malayalam film industry, where several prominent figures, including actors, filmmakers, and technicians, have faced allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. While Siddique has not publicly commented on the specific allegations, the case remains under investigation by the authorities.
As part of the conditions of his anticipatory bail, Siddique must now appear before investigators when required and surrender his passport to prevent any possibility of fleeing the country.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Court Grants Anticipatory Bail to Actor Siddique in Rape Case, Orders Cooperation with Investigation
November 19, 2024: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to Malayalam actor Siddique in a rape case filed by an actress. The court made the interim anticipatory bail, which was granted on September 30, permanent. The bench, led by Justices Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, ordered the actor to fully cooperate with the investigation and surrender his passport to the authorities.
The case against Siddique emerged as part of a larger wave of sexual misconduct allegations that have swept through the Malayalam film industry, following the release of the Justice K Hema Committee report in August 2024. The report highlighted widespread sexual abuse and gender discrimination within the industry, sparking numerous accusations from actresses and industry professionals.
In her complaint, the actress accused Siddique of raping her at the Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. However, the complainant’s delay in filing the complaint — almost eight years after the alleged incident — raised questions during the court proceedings. The Supreme Court bench noted that the complainant had made sexual abuse allegations against 14 individuals, including Siddique, in a Facebook post back in 2018. Additionally, the court pointed out that she had not approached the Justice K Hema Committee, which was specifically set up to address sexual abuse allegations in the film industry.
During the hearing, the court asked why it had taken the complainant so long to come forward with her formal complaint, given the timeline of her Facebook post and the subsequent public revelations about the industry’s abuse culture.
"Considering the fact that the complainant had lodged the complaint almost eight years after the alleged incident in 2016, and she had also posted on Facebook somewhere in 2018 making allegations about 14 people, including the appellant, with regard to alleged sexual abuse meted out, and as also the fact that she had not gone to the Hema Committee... We are inclined to accept the present appeal subject to conditions," the bench observed.
Advocate Vrinda Grover, representing the complainant, argued that the survivor only found the courage to come forward after the release of the Hema Committee report and the Kerala High Court’s intervention. Grover emphasized that the survivor’s decision to file a formal complaint was influenced by the public revelations that followed the report, which shed light on systemic abuse within the industry.
The court’s order comes amid mounting scrutiny of the Malayalam film industry, where several prominent figures, including actors, filmmakers, and technicians, have faced allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. While Siddique has not publicly commented on the specific allegations, the case remains under investigation by the authorities.
As part of the conditions of his anticipatory bail, Siddique must now appear before investigators when required and surrender his passport to prevent any possibility of fleeing the country.