Malayalam Actor Siddique Arrested and Granted Bail

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 6 (NationPress) A court in the capital of Kerala on Friday allowed actor Siddique to be released on bail after the state police's special investigation team documented his arrest in connection with a case initiated by an actress who accused him of rape from years ago.

The court instructed the actor to surrender his passport, mandated his cooperation with the investigation, and required a surety of Rs one lakh.

In November, the Supreme Court had previously granted him anticipatory bail, stipulating that he must appear before the police whenever requested and indicating that if his arrest were to be logged, he should be released on bail.

On Friday, Siddique voluntarily appeared before the police team, and following interrogation, his arrest was formalized. He was subsequently presented to the court after the necessary procedures.

The police informed the court that the actor was not fully cooperating with their investigation and indicated the need for further questioning.

A police case against Siddique arose from a complaint filed by an actress who accused him of raping her in a state-run hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016.

The actress, who initially hesitated to report the incident, later sent an email to the state police chief claiming that Siddique assaulted her after she refused his demands for sexual favors in exchange for a role in a Tamil film.

Following these allegations, Siddique, who was recently appointed as the General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), resigned from his position.

The entire Executive Committee, led by President Mohanlal, also stepped down in the wake of these events.

Siddique asserted that this particular actress had been harassing him since 2019 with repeated accusations on social media, claiming that he attempted to molest her at a theater in 2016. After the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, she escalated her claims to a more severe allegation of rape at a different location within the same year.

Siddique's troubles intensified when the Kerala High Court denied his anticipatory bail on September 24. Shortly thereafter, he went missing, eluding police capture until he reappeared after September 30, when the apex court granted him bail and instructed him to report to the investigation team.

Following the release of the impactful Justice Hema Committee report on the status of women in the Malayalam film industry in August, a wave of allegations surfaced against prominent figures in the industry. In response to former actresses sharing their negative experiences, police swiftly acted, filing 11 FIRs against various movie personalities.