Absconding actor Siddique's phone rings briefly after a day of silence

Kochi: Absconding Malayalam actor Siddique's phone, which had been switched off since Tuesday, was turned on briefly on Wednesday. The phone rang when Manorama News tried to contact him but was immediately disconnected.

The Kerala police have been unable to trace Siddique, a day after the Kerala High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea in a rape case. The survivor and the state government have filed a plea opposing Siddique's appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court order.

Fearing arrest, the actor has decided to approach the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Crime Branch head Sparjan Kumar has directed the Kochi police to arrest the actor. According to reports, the police have issued a lookout circular to all airports to prevent Siddique from fleeing the country. It is believed that the actor may remain in hiding until the Supreme Court takes up the case. He is reportedly not at his residence in Kakkanad, and his mobile phone remains switched off.

Meanwhile, the survivor has criticised the police for failing to monitor the actor despite knowing that his bail was likely to be rejected. The actor was seen in public at Kaviyoor Ponnamma's funeral.

The Museum Police in Thiruvananthapuram booked Siddique following a complaint by a young female actor, who alleged that he raped her at the Mascot Hotel in the capital on January 28, 2016, after a preview show of the movie 'Sukhamayirikatte'. The complaint was lodged after the release of the Hema Committee report, which highlighted violence against women in the Malayalam film industry. With the court rejecting his bail plea, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is expected to record Siddique's arrest for interrogation.

In addition to the rape charges, Siddique faces charges under IPC Section 506 (criminal intimidation). The complainant came forward with her allegations after the Hema Committee report, which exposed widespread sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry. In response, the state government formed an SIT to investigate the cases.

The SIT has registered 23 cases based on complaints from women in the industry. The police have reportedly gathered substantial evidence in the case against Siddique. During their investigation at the hotel, authorities confirmed that both Siddique and the complainant were present at the same time. This evidence contributed to the court's decision to deny his bail request.

Following the allegations, Siddique resigned from his position as General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The actor has dismissed the accusations, claiming they are part of a conspiracy against him.