Supreme Court Grants Relief to Actor Siddique Amid Controversial Allegations

The Supreme Court granted anticipatory bail to veteran Malayalam actor Siddique in a high-profile rape case, noting an eight-year delay in registering the complaint. The player must surrender his passport and comply with ongoing investigations.

The complaint against Siddique was first made on social media in 2018 and the names of 14 people, including Siddique, were given. The bench, led by Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, noted that the complainant had not approached the Hema Committee, set up by the Kerala government to look into abuses related to the industry.

Kerala Police maintains that Siddique’s custodial interrogation was necessary due to significant evidence against him, at a time when scrutiny is increasing over allegations of sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry. Despite the court’s mitigating measures, the investigation is at a critical stage.

(With input from institutions.)