Lagatar24 Desk
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted permanent anticipatory bail to Malayalam actor Siddique in a rape case filed by an actress. A bench of Justices Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma upheld its interim bail order of September 30 while directing Siddique to cooperate with the investigation and surrender his passport.
Background of the Case
The case against Siddique emerged amid heightened scrutiny of sexual misconduct in the Malayalam film industry, following the Justice K Hema Committee report released in August. The report exposed widespread sexual abuse and gender discrimination within the industry.
The complainant alleged Siddique raped her at a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. However, the complaint was filed only eight years later, in the wake of the Hema Committee report’s findings.
Court Observations
The Supreme Court questioned the delay in filing the complaint and referred to the complainant’s Facebook posts from 2018, which accused 14 individuals, including Siddique, of sexual abuse. The court noted that the actress had not approached the Hema Committee to report her allegations.
“Considering the delay of almost eight years and the complainant’s prior allegations on social media against multiple individuals, we are inclined to grant the appeal, subject to conditions,” the bench stated.
Arguments Presented
•For the Complainant: Advocate Vrinda Grover argued that the survivor gained the courage to file a complaint after the Hema Committee’s revelations and subsequent legal interventions. She added that Siddique’s followers’ backlash on social media discouraged her from acting earlier.
•For the Defence: Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi contended the allegations were baseless and aimed at tarnishing Siddique’s reputation. “The complainant has accused numerous individuals of similar crimes. This raises questions about credibility,” he argued.
•Kerala Government: The state’s counsel alleged Siddique was uncooperative during the investigation and sought restrictions on his bail. The court dismissed this request.
Conditions of Bail
The court emphasized that Siddique must cooperate with the investigation and comply with directives issued by the authorities. His bail conditions include surrendering his passport to the investigating officer.
