Thu Sep 26 21:54:36 UTC 2024: ## Kerala Police Issues Lookout Notice for Actor Siddique Amidst Rape Case Investigation
**Kochi, Kerala:** The Kerala Police have issued a lookout notice for actor Siddique, suspecting he may have fled the state in connection with an ongoing rape investigation. The notice has been circulated to all district police chiefs in Kerala as well as to police forces nationwide.
Siddique is currently facing allegations of rape and criminal intimidation, with a case filed against him on August 27 by the museum police in Thiruvananthapuram based on a complaint from a young actor. He has denied the accusations and filed a countercomplaint against the victim. The Kerala High Court recently dismissed his anticipatory bail application, further intensifying the situation.
The case is currently under investigation by a Special Investigation Team of the Kerala government.
This incident comes amid a wider Me Too movement sweeping the Malayalam film industry, exposing numerous allegations of sexual abuse against prominent figures. Following the allegations, Siddique resigned from his position as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), and the entire 17-member executive committee of AMMA subsequently resigned.
The current investigations stem from the release of the Justice Hema Committee report on August 19, which highlighted rampant harassment, exploitation, and systematic mistreatment of women in the Malayalam film industry. The report, which redacted the names of witnesses and accused, pointed to a controlling structure within the industry dominated by a small group of male producers, directors, and actors.
First Piper 