Supreme Court grants interim bail to actor Siddique in rape case

In a temporary relief to Malayalam actor Siddique in a rape case filed by an actress, the Supreme Court has granted interim bail, staying his arrest for two weeks.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has granted Malayalam actor Siddique interim relief in a rape case, staying his arrest for two weeks. This is as per the the conditions put forward by the trial court, This decision comes after Siddique's anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Kerala High Court. Siddique had been in hiding for six days following the high court's dismissal of his anticipatory bail plea. A bench comprising Justices B.M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma heard the plea, which was listed as the 62nd case.

Siddique told the apex court that he is 67 and has acted in 365 movies. He further argued that the complaint was filed after a significant delay. The court considered this argument and also questioned the state about its actions over the past eight years. In response, the survivor and the state told the court that the complaint was filed now, after the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which highlighted issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati appeared for the state, while senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi represented Siddique.

The Kerala Police had issued an arrest warrant against Siddique, and a lookout notice was issued at all exit points across the country. A special investigation team has been formed to investigate the case.

The court directed Siddique to cooperate with the investigation and adjourned the case for two weeks.