The Kerala High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of actor Siddique, who was booked for rape following the release of the Justice K. Hema Committee Report.

The ruling was delivered by Justice C. S. Dias.

Senior advocate B. Raman Pillai represented Siddique in the matter.

The complainant alleges that the actor invited her to Muscot Hotel in Trivandrum under the guise of discussing a film, where he raped and assaulted her. The complaint was lodged with the Special Investigation Team, set up to probe incidents of sexual harassment within the Malayalam film industry, and an FIR was registered at the Museum Police Station, Trivandrum.

In his petition, actor Siddique contended that the complainant, a dedicated supporter and member of the Women's Cinema Collective (WCC), made the allegations against him in retaliation. He claimed this was because he, along with other office bearers of the Association of Malayalam Movie Actors (AMMA), held a press conference following the release of the Justice Hema Committee Report.

The actor further highlighted in his petition that the same complainant had previously made allegations against him in 2019, but she has now altered the details with the intent of implicating him in non-bailable offences. However, the counsel for the State argued that, despite minor variations in her statements, the complainant has publicly accused the actor of misbehavior since 2019.

The plea was filed by Adv. Philip T. Varghese and Adv. Sujesh Menon V. B., with Senior Counsel Adv. B. Raman Pillai representing the actor in court.

Case Title: Xxx v State of Kerala

Case No: BA 7331/ 2024