The Supreme Court on Tuesday (November 19, 2024) ordered that Malayalam film actor Siddique , in the event of arrest in a sexual abuse case, should be released on bail subject to the condition that he deposit his passport before the trial court concerned and cooperate with the investigation. A Bench of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and S.
C. Sharma allowed his appeal for relief in the case based on a complaint filed by a woman that she was raped in a hotel by the veteran actor in 2016. Also read: Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes | AMMA’s moment of reckoning The court said it did not want to assign any elaborate reasons for reaching its conclusion considering the sensitive nature of the case.
However, the Bench referred to the fact that the woman took eight years to file a complaint with the police. Secondly, she had made allegations on Facebook against the actor and others in 2018. Finally, the complainant had not approached the Justice Hema Committee, which was enquiring into allegations of sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry, with her grievance.
‘Complainant got courage after Hema panel report’ “She had the courage to post on Facebook but not go to the police for eight years?” Justice Trivedi asked during the hearing. At one point, the court asked if the complaint “still did cinema?” Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the complainant, said it was Mr. Siddique who approached the woman.
There was a huge age disparity between them. Mr. Grover said he .
