Malayalam Actor Siddique, Arrested In Sexual Assault Case, Released On Bail

Malayalam veteran actor Siddique has been arrested in connection with the ongoing sexual abuse case on December 6. The actor has been accused of misleading investigators and not cooperating with the cops as directed by the apex court. However, later he was released on bail by a magistrate court owing to the Supreme Court's judgement. Siddique appeared before the Narcotic Cell Assistant Commissioned in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday for questioning where he was interrogated for over 2 hours. However, it is believed that he will be released soon as in November, the Supreme Court had granted anticipatory bail to him in connection with the case.

Why Supreme Court grant Siddique anticipatory bail in the sexual abuse case?

Soon after the actress filed a sexual abuse case against Siddique, the veteran actor moved to court and filed a petition in the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail in the sexual harassment case registered against him. Granting anticipatory bail, the session court, led by Justice Bela M. Trivedi, questioned the complainant's silence for 8 years and said, "You had the courage to post on Facebook but not go to the police station?” They also pointed out that she didn't even approach the Hema Committee with her complaint. The Supreme Court has ordered that actor Siddique will cooperate in the investigation and will have to submit his passport to the lower court.

What is the sexual assault case against Siddique all about?

A rape case has been filed against Siddique following a female actor's allegation that he sexually assaulted her in 2016. An FIR under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) was registered against the actor at Museum police station, a senior police officer said. The case was registered under the IPC as the offence allegedly occurred in 2016.

In a media interaction, the actress alleged that the incident happened when she was 21 years old. She stated that Siddique initially contacted her on Facebook, addressing her as "Mole," a term often used in Kerala to refer to a young girl or daughter. She further claimed that during the discussion, he sexually abused her.