Siddique Faces Another #MeToo Allegation After Resignation As AMMA Secretary, Rape Charge Filed

Malayalam veteran actor Siddique recently resigned as general secretary from the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) following a sexual assault case filed by actress Revathy Sampath. On Wednesday, news agency PTI reported that the 61-year-old actor has been registered in another sexual assault case.

Siddique sexually assaulted this actress in 2016

According to PTI, a rape case has been registered 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) has been 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.

Earlier, actress Revathy accused the veteran actor of sexual misconduct. She sent her complaint to the state police chief via email. 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.

Siddique registers police complaint against Revathy

He has lodged a complaint with Kerala police against actress Revathy Sampath after she accused him of sexual misconduct, officials said on Monday. "The complaint has been submitted to the Director General of Police," he told ANI.

These FIRs against the director and actors have come in the wake of revelations in the Justice Hema Committee report. The first case, under IPC Section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty), was against director Ranjith on a complaint by a female actor from West Bengal regarding an incident which occurred in 2009.

All about Justice Hema Committee

The Justice Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealing instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.

Amidst allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation cropping up against several actors and directors, the state government on August 25 announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team to probe them.

- With PTI Inputs -