Rape case: Supreme Court grants anticipatory bail to Siddique
The Supreme Court of India has granted anticipatory bail to Malayalam actor Siddique, who is facing rape allegations. The decision was made on Tuesday by a bench comprising Justice Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma. The court noted the complainant had neither reported the alleged assault to the police for eight years nor to the Hema Committee, set up by the Kerala government to address sexual harassment in the film industry.
Court made interim anticipatory bail absolute
While making the interim anticipatory bail, granted on September 30, absolute, the court directed Siddique to cooperate in the investigation and surrender his passport to the trial court. The bench said in its order, "We deem it appropriate not to assign elaborate reasons, particularly considering the sensitivity of the case." "However, considering...the fact that she had not gone to the Hema Committee...we are inclined to accept the present appeal."
Siddique resigned from AMMA following allegations
After the sexual assault allegations, Siddique resigned as the General Secretary of the Association Of Malayalam Movie Actors (AMMA). The complainant had accused him of raping her at the Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. Advocate Vrinda Grover, who represented the complainant, said she found the courage to file a complaint after the publication of the Hema Committee report and intervention by the Kerala High Court.
Siddique's defense and court's response
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Siddique, argued for his client's innocence and challenged the complainant's charges. The Kerala government's counsel argued that Siddique wasn't cooperating with authorities and sought that the public prosecutor be heard before imposing bail conditions. This plea, however, was rejected by the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court extended Siddique's protection amid investigation
The Supreme Court's decision comes after Siddique was granted interim bail on September 30, which was extended on October 22 for further legal procedures. The bench extended the protection for two more weeks, allowing Siddique time to respond to the Kerala Police's status report opposing his bail request. In its status report, the Kerala Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) accused Siddique of obstructing the investigation by destroying electronic evidence and deactivating his social media accounts.
