In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India granted anticipatory bail to Malayalam actor Siddique, who was accused of raping an actress in 2016. The Bench, led by Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, confirmed the interim anticipatory bail previously granted to the actor.
The case has drawn attention due to the long delay in filing the complaint—almost eight years after the alleged incident. The complainant had first posted allegations on Facebook in 2018, accusing 14 people, including Siddique, of sexual abuse. Despite the public post, the complainant had not initially approached the police or the Kerala High Court’s Hema Committee set up to address sexual harassment issues in the film industry.
During the hearing, Justice Trivedi questioned the complainant’s delayed legal action, asking,
You had the courage to post on Facebook but not go to the police station?
Justice Bela Trivedi
This pointed inquiry highlighted the unusual timing of the complaint, which came to light only after the publication of the Justice K Hema Committee Report in August 2024. The report revealed widespread sexual abuse and gender discrimination in the Malayalam film industry, triggering a series of similar allegations.
The complainant’s lawyer, Advocate Vrinda Grover, defended the delay, stating that the survivor faced severe backlash on social media from Siddique’s supporters after her Facebook posts. Grover argued that the complainant only found the courage to file an official complaint after the Hema Committee’s report brought the issue to public attention.
Siddique’s defense, led by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, questioned the credibility of the allegations, suggesting that the complainant had made similar claims against other individuals. Rohatgi contended that the complainant’s accusations were unfounded, emphasizing that Siddique had never met her prior to the alleged incident.
The Supreme Court rejected a request by the State of Kerala to hear the Public Prosecutor before setting bail conditions, maintaining that it would not make exceptions in this case.
The investigation into the matter is being conducted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), and the case is being closely monitored as part of the broader wave of sexual abuse allegations in the Malayalam film industry.
