Malayalam Actor Siddique Untraceable, Kerala Govt To File Caveat Petition

(Image: IANS)

Kochi:  A day after Malayalam actor Siddique’s anticipatory bail was disallowed by the Kerala High Court in a rape case filed against him by an actress, police continue to search for him, as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has decided to arrest him.

However, with the actor’s mobile phones switched off and the police making failed attempts to trace him, Siddique is expected to move a petition against the High Court’s verdict in the apex court, later on Wednesday. Siddique’s son was spotted at his counsel’s office soon after the bail petition was disallowed and it became clear that they were moving the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, reports have surfaced that the complainant in the case and also the Kerala government will file a caveat petition in the apex court to thwart Siddique’s appeal petition. If the caveat petition is filed, then it could be more trouble for the actor, who was last spotted in public on Saturday when he was overseeing the arrangements for the last rites of veteran screen ‘mother’ Kaviyoor Ponnamma.

A police case against Siddique was registered based on a complaint by an actress who accused him of raping her at a state-owned hotel in the capital city in 2016. The actress, who initially hesitated to file a police complaint, later emailed the state police chief alleging that Siddique raped her after she refused to give in to his demands for sexual favours in exchange for a role in a Tamil movie.

When this revelation came, Siddique, who was recently elected as the General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) quit the post. Thereafter, the entire committee chaired by President Mohanlal also resigned. Siddique had contended in court that this particular actress has been harassing him since 2019 by making repeated claims on social media that he tried to molest her at a theatre in 2016, and after the Justice Hema Committee report was published, she made a more serious allegation of rape at a different place in the same year.

The Justice Hema Committee has unleashed a storm of trouble for the Malayalam film industry. Following its revelations, a few former actresses publicly revealed their bad experiences and the police were quick to act, registering 11 FIRs against various film personalities. At present, those who are in the dock include actor-turned-CPI(M) legislator Mukesh Madhavan, Nivin Pauly, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble.

Mukesh, Ranjith, Raju, Prakash and now Jayasurya have already got relief from the courts from being arrested. Siddique thus became the first actor who applied for anticipatory bail but failed to get it.