Rape case: SC extends Siddique's interim bail for another week
The Supreme Court has extended the interim protection from arrest for Malayalam actor Siddique, who is embroiled in an alleged rape case. The extension comes for another week, according to PTI. The decision was made by a bench comprising Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, continuing their previous order from September 30. The court has instructed Siddique to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
Siddique's defense and police allegations
During the hearing, Mukul Rohatgi, the senior advocate appearing for Siddique, sought more time for arguments as his client was unwell. He also told the court that Siddique had met the complainant only once and no longer had his phone and laptop from 2016 which authorities were looking for. Meanwhile, Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Kerala Police, accused Siddique of giving evasive answers during questioning.
Siddique's counterclaims and police allegations
Notably, on October 22, the Supreme Court granted Siddique interim protection for two weeks, giving him time to respond to Kerala Police's status report. The report alleged that he obstructed their investigation by destroying electronic devices and deleting social media accounts. Siddique filed an affidavit saying he was named as an accused without proper investigation and alleged the police were creating a "media trial" against him on baseless allegations.
Rape allegations against Siddique and his defense
The rape allegations against Siddique are based on a complaint by a female actor who accused him of raping her at a state-owned hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. She alleged the assault happened after she refused to give sexual favors for a Tamil movie role. Defending himself, Siddique claimed this actor had been harassing him since 2019 with repeated social media claims of attempted molestation which later escalated to serious rape allegations.
Siddique's legal woes and industry fallout
After the allegations, Siddique resigned as the General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). He was followed by the entire Executive Committee, headed by President Mohanlal. The case against Siddique was registered after an explosive report on the condition of women artists in the Malayalam film industry by the Justice Hema Committee was released in August, triggering a wave of allegations against big names.
