In a significant relief for veteran Malayalam actor Siddique, the Supreme Court today (September 30) granted interim protection from arrest in a rape case filed against him. The bench, consisting of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, issued a notice to the respondents. Siddique had been evading arrest after the Kerala High Court dismissed his plea for anticipatory bail on September 24, noting materials indicating his alleged involvement in the crime.
Siddique challenged the Kerala High Court's order in the Supreme Court. The complaint was filed by an actress who accused Siddique of raping her under the pretense of discussing a film project. The allegations have emerged at a sensitive time for the Malayalam film industry, coinciding with the release of the Justice Hema Committee report. Siddique, recently elected as General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), also stepped down from his position. Following his resignation, the entire committee, led by President Mohanlal, also resigned.
In his defense, Siddique claimed that the actress has been harassing him since 2019, repeatedly alleging on social media that he attempted to assault her at a theater in 2016. After the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, she escalated her claims, accusing him of rape at a different location in the same year. Several other Malayalam actors, including Mukesh, Ranjith, Raju, Prakash, and Jayasurya, have received court relief from arrest. Siddique, however, became the first actor to be denied anticipatory bail initially before challenging it