The Supreme Court has granted Malayalam actor Siddique interim relief from arrest in a rape case. Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma issued notice to the Kerala government and the victim while they reviewed Siddique’s plea, which challenges the Kerala High Court’s refusal to grant him anticipatory bail.
The top court asked advocate Vrinda Grover, representing the victim, to explain the delay in filing the complaint against Siddique. Grover pointed out that the findings of the Justice Hema Committee, which exposed the harassment and sexual abuse faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, should be viewed in a broader context.
Mukul Rohatgi, Siddique’s senior advocate, highlighted that the complaint emerged in 2024, eight years after the alleged incidents. The High Court rejected Siddique’s anticipatory bail plea on September 24, stating that the gravity of the allegations requires his custodial interrogation for a comprehensive investigation.
Siddique faces charges under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In his petition, he claims that since 2019, he has experienced a “prolonged harassment and false campaign” by the complainant. The allegations have led to multiple FIRs against prominent figures in the Malayalam film industry, following revelations from the Justice K Hema Committee report.