Tue Nov 19 11:10:00 UTC 2024: ## Supreme Court Grants Permanent Anticipatory Bail to Malayalam Actor Siddique in Rape Case
**NEW DELHI** – The Supreme Court of India has granted permanent anticipatory bail to veteran Malayalam actor Siddique in a rape case filed against him by an actress. The court’s decision, announced Tuesday, upholds an interim bail order issued on September 30th. While granting bail, the court mandated that Siddique cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation and surrender his passport to the investigating officer.
The case against Siddique emerged amidst a wave of sexual misconduct allegations rocking the Malayalam film industry following the release of the Justice K Hema Committee report in August, which exposed widespread sexual abuse and gender discrimination. The actress alleges Siddique raped her at the Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016.
The Supreme Court acknowledged the eight-year delay in filing the complaint and the complainant’s 2018 Facebook post detailing sexual abuse allegations against 14 individuals, including Siddique. The court questioned the timing of the complaint, noting the complainant’s failure to approach the Hema Committee.
The complainant’s lawyer, Vrinda Grover, argued that the survivor only found the courage to file a complaint after the Hema Committee report and subsequent Kerala High Court intervention, citing online backlash from Siddique’s supporters as a contributing factor to her silence.
Conversely, Siddique’s lawyer, Mukul Rohatgi, vehemently denied the allegations, questioning the credibility of the complainant given the numerous accusations leveled against various individuals. The Kerala government’s advocate argued for Siddique’s non-cooperation with authorities and requested the court to hear the public prosecutor before setting bail conditions, a request the Supreme Court rejected. The case now proceeds with Siddique subject to the court-mandated conditions.
First Piper 