Kerala: High Court denies anticipatory bail to actor Siddique, arrest looms in sexual assault case

The Kerala High Court has denied actor Siddique's anticipatory bail application in a sexual assault case filed by an actress. This paves the way for his potential arrest.

In a significant development, the Kerala High Court has rejected actor Siddique's anticipatory bail application in connection with a sexual assault case filed by an actress. Justice C.S. Dias pronounced the order, paving the way for potential arrest of the actor.

The case stems from allegations made by the actress after the release of the Justice K. Hema Committee Report, which exposed widespread sexual abuse and gender discrimination in the Malayalam film industry. The actress claims Siddique called her to the Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram under the pretext of discussing a film and sexually assaulted her on January 28, 2016.

Siddique maintained that the allegations were baseless and aimed at defamation, stating he was willing to cooperate with the investigation. However, the investigation team gathered strong evidence and testimonies corroborating the actress's claims, leading to the denial of anticipatory bail.

The actor's petition alleged inconsistencies in the complainant's statements and claimed she changed her narrative to implicate and defame him. Siddique's counsel argued the actress was a member of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and had ulterior motives.

With the denial of bail, the investigation team is expected to proceed swiftly with further actions related to the inquiry, although they clarified that subsequent actions will only be taken after receiving the High Court's order. Siddique, who was the general secretary of the AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists), has relocated from his Kochi residence since the bail denial. The police has now issued a look-out circular for the actor and is trying to trace him by searching various hotels around Kochi.