New Delhi: The Supreme Court extended the interim anticipatory bail granted to Malayalam actor Siddique for one week in connection with allegations of raping a female actor. In a brief hearing, Justices BM Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma adjourned the proceedings.
Siddique has denied the charges made against him by the investigation team and submitted an affidavit on Monday. The actor’s defence argues that the police fabricated allegations that the complainant never mentioned. He claims that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is fabricating stories against him. However, the government lawyer will argue that there is evidence against Siddique and that he should not be granted bail as he needs to be taken into custody for questioning.
Further, Siddique alleged that the police are conducting a "media trial" against him, stressing that he does not hold significant influence in the Malayalam film industry. “I’ve only played a handful of key roles, mostly supporting characters,” he clarified.
It was in August the Museum police in Thiruvananthapuram charged the actor under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges stemmed from a complaint filed by a young female colleague who accused him of sexually assaulting her at the Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram on January 28, 2016. However, Siddique has denied these allegations.
On September 24, the Kerala High Court denied his anticipatory bail, citing the seriousness of the charges and the necessity for custodial interrogation. However, on September 30, the Supreme Court granted him anticipatory protection from arrest.
Following these developments, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), established to investigate sexual assault complaints from multiple women in the Malayalam film industry, interrogated Siddique twice, on October 7 and October 12. The SIT reported that Siddique refused to cooperate with their inquiries and indicated that no further notices would be issued for his appearance.
