Malayalam actor Siddique went missing after the Kerala High Court on Tuesday refused to grant anticipatory bail to him in a rape case filed against him by an actress. A Kerala Police team probing the case came searching for the actor at his two residences here but failed to find him. The two mobile numbers that the star uses were also found to be switched off.A lookout notice has also been issued to all points of exit in the country, especially airports. The actor was last spotted in public on Saturday when he was overseeing the arrangements for the last rites of veteran ‘screen’ mother Kaviyoor Ponnamma. Reports indicate that he will be approaching the Supreme Court against the High Court’s decision.
A police case has been filed against Siddique following a complaint from an actress who has accused him of rape. She alleges that Siddique sexually assaulted her under the guise of discussing a film project. These allegations come at a challenging time for the Malayalam film industry, coinciding with the release of the Justice Hema Committee report.Following these revelations, Siddique, who was recently elected General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), stepped down from his position. Subsequently, the entire committee, led by President Mohanlal, also resigned.
In court, Siddique argued that this actress has been harassing him since 2019, repeatedly alleging on social media that he attempted to sexually assault her at a theater in 2016. After the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, she escalated her claims, accusing him of rape in a different location during the same year. The Justice Hema Committee has unleashed a storm of trouble for the Malayalam film industry. Following its revelations, a few former actresses publicly revealed their bad experiences and the police were quick to act, registering 11 FIRs against various film personalities. Presently, those who are in the dock include actor-turned-CPI-M legislator Mukesh Madhavan, Nivin Pauly, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble.