New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the interim anticipatory bail granted to Malayalam actor Siddique by two weeks in connection with a rape case filed by a young actor. The extension was granted by a bench comprising Justices Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma after Siddique’s counsel, Senior Advocate V Giri, requested time to file a rejoinder to the status report submitted by the Kerala Police, which opposes the bail plea.
Senior Advocate Ranjit Kumar, representing the State of Kerala, argued that Siddique had not been cooperating with the investigation and had destroyed evidence, including deactivating his social media accounts. Kumar noted that over 30 FIRs had been filed by other women from the Malayalam film industry, and the protection granted to Siddique was discouraging them from pursuing their cases.
Justice Trivedi observed that the survivor had filed the complaint eight years after the alleged incident. Kumar explained that the delay was due to the survivor gaining courage after the release of the Justice Hema Committee report on the exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.
Advocate Vrinda Grover, representing the survivor, said that the actor had been raising concerns on social media since 2018 and underscored the difficulty of going up against a powerful figure. The allegations claim Siddique sexually assaulted her in 2016 after offering her film roles.
The Kerala Police's status report, filed on October 19, opposed the bail, accusing Siddique of using his influence to obstruct the investigation. The police emphasised that, despite being in the early stages, significant evidence had already been gathered, necessitating Siddique’s custodial interrogation.
Earlier, the Kerala High Court had dismissed Siddique's anticipatory bail plea, citing the evidence against him and rejecting his argument that the delay in filing the FIR undermined the case. The court also noted that the allegations fell within the expanded definition of rape.
The police report highlighted concerns about public perception, mentioning that Siddique's fans celebrated the initial bail order, which trivialized the gravity of the charges. It warned that prolonging his protection could deter witnesses, particularly in light of the Justice Hema Committee report that had encouraged survivors to come forward.
The investigation, involving incidents from eight years ago, requires Siddique’s custody to recover digital evidence and fully establish the sequence of events. The police expressed concerns that Siddique could tamper with evidence and intimidate witnesses.
Siddique, accused under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, has claimed that the complainant has been harassing him since 2019. The case is part of a broader wave of sexual harassment complaints within the Malayalam film industry, sparked by the findings of the Justice Hema Committee, which exposed systemic exploitation of women in the industry.
The case will resume in two weeks after Siddique’s counsel files the rejoinder.