Kochi: The Kerala police have initiated an investigation into actor Siddique's complaint regarding alleged 'surveillance' by police and media personnel. Siddique claimed that the police and media have been following him and his son, Shaheen, causing distress to their personal lives.
In his complaint submitted to the Director General of Police (DGP) on Saturday, Siddique stated that the cops were spying on him and providing information about his activities to the media. The plaint was initially forwarded to the Kochi City police and later reassigned to the Ernakulam North police for further investigation.
Siddique evaded police net for several days after being accused of raping a young female colleague. He resurfaced only after the Supreme Court granted him interim protection from arrest, leading to increased police monitoring of his movements. “I have noticed a police vehicle following me whenever I leave my house, including trips to meet my lawyer. This police team is also sharing information with the media,” Siddique alleged, Manorama News reported.
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. Siddique has denied these allegations.
On September 24, the Kerala High Court denied Siddique’s 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 in the wake of the Justice Hema Committee report, has 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. Instead, the investigative team planned to request his custody during the upcoming court hearing, emphasising his lack of cooperation with the investigation.
The case against Siddique was one of several brought against prominent figures in the Malayalam film industry following the release of the Justice Hema Committee report.