Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): Malayalam actor Siddique appeared before the Narcotic Cell Assistant Commissioner in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday for questioning in connection with a sexual abuse case.
In November, the Supreme Court had granted anticipatory bail to Siddique in connection with the case.
A bench of justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma granted relief to Siddique subject to conditions that he will surrender his passport and cooperate in the investigation of the case.
The top court, however, said that it would not give elaborate reasons while granting anticipatory bail to Siddique considering the sensitivity of the case.
It took note of the delay in lodging the FIR in the matter as the complainant had filed the complaint almost eight years after the alleged incident and created the posts on Facebook somewhere in 2018.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for the petitioner, had raised questions on the delay in the FIR and apprised the court that she had made allegations against other people too. Insisting the top court grant him bail, Siddique's counsel said that he would not run away anywhere and also said that d that the actor had met the complainant once in a preview of the movie.
Senior Advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Kerala Government, asked why the victim was invited for the preview of a film which is an event attended by only a few invited people.
Advocate Vrinda Grover for the victim said it takes immense courage for a woman to come forward and speak about the rape incident. Siddique has approached the Supreme Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with the rape case.
Earlier Kerala Police issued a lookout notice against actor Siddique, suspecting he may have fled the state in connection with the ongoing investigation into a rape case.
The notice has been issued to all district police chiefs in Kerala as well as the police chiefs of all states. Actor Siddique is allegedly on the run after the Kerala High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail application. The case is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team of the Kerala government. The museum police in Thiruvananthapuram registered a case against Siddique on August 27 under charges of rape and criminal intimidation, based on the complaint filed by a young actor. However, Siddique has categorically denied the allegation.
The Malayalam film industry has recently been rocked by a "Me Too" movement exposing various allegations of sexual abuse.
Following the allegations, Siddique resigned from his position as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). Consequently, the entire 17-member executive committee of AMMA also resigned.
Serious accusations have been made by several women actors against prominent figures in the industry, including director Ranjith and actors Mukesh, Jayasurya, and Edavela Babu, among others
The surge in these allegations came in the wake of the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which exposed disturbing accounts of harassment, exploitation, and the systematic mistreatment of women in the industry.
The report, made public on August 19, after redacting the names of witnesses and the accused, noted that the Malayalam film industry is controlled by about 10 to 15 male producers, directors, and actors who dominate and exert control over the industry. (ANI)