Malayalam actor Siddique, facing charges in a sexual harassment case, has received temporary relief from the Supreme Court. The court has issued an interim stay on Siddique’s arrest and has also sent a notice to the Kerala government, requesting a response.
A bench consisting of Justice Bela Trivedi and Justice SC Sharma is currently hearing Siddique’s anticipatory bail plea. Previously, the Kerala High Court had rejected his plea, prompting him to approach the Supreme Court to avoid arrest.
In his plea, Siddique has claimed that the actress’s allegations are baseless and false. He asserts that she accused him of sexual harassment over a five-year period, from 2016, including verbal proposals. Siddique also pointed out that she has now made a more serious allegation of rape at a different location in the same year, which he contends is contradictory.
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The actress’s accusations followed the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which highlighted issues of harassment in the Malayalam film industry. An FIR against Siddique was filed in August, charging him under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
In light of the allegations, Siddique resigned from his position as General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists. The Hema Committee report revealed numerous cases of harassment and exploitation of women in the industry, leading to multiple FIRs against various directors and actors.
In response to these revelations, the Kerala government announced the formation of a seven-member special investigation team on August 25 to investigate these serious allegations.