Malayalam Actor Siddique Approaches Supreme Court Seeking Anticipatory Bail In Rape Case

Malayalam actor Siddique has approached the Supreme Court seeking anticipatory bail in a rape case registered against him on the basis of allegations levelled by a woman.

On September 24, the Kerala High Court had dismissed his petition seeking anticipatory bail, observing that the materials on record indicated the prima facie involvement of Siddique in the crime. Challenging the High Court's order, he filed Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court at around 7 PM today. The State and the victim have filed caveats.

Following the publication of the Justice Hema Committee report regarding the exploitations faced by women in Malayalam cinema, the woman made public allegations that Siddique sexually exploited her in 2016 when she met him in a hotel room after he offered her opportunities in the film industry. Following her public allegations,  she lodged an FIR.

The Kerala High Court rejected the contention of Siddique that the delay in the registration of FIR was fatal.

"Whether the survivor's above explanation is plausible will have to be ultimately evaluated and decided after a full-fledged trial. Nevertheless, the contention that the above delay vitiates the entire prosecution case is not a ground for scraping the complaint, particularly while considering a bail application. Victims of sexual abuse and assault may experience psychological, emotional and social barriers that feed the delay in reporting the matter, which necessarily has to be understood in the context of the trauma," the High Court observed.

The High Court also held that the acts alleged against Siddique would come within the ambit of the expanded definition of "rape".