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The Kerala High Court had earlier rejected his plea for anticipatory bail.
Actor Siddique has received interim relief from arrest for two weeks until the next hearing from the Supreme Court. He faces charges under rape and criminal intimidation after a woman actor accused him of sexual assault.
The Supreme Court has granted interim protection from arrest for two weeks until the next hearing to Malayalam actor Siddique. The apex court also sent a notice to the Kerala government concerning his appeal against the Kerala High Court’s ruling that refused him bail.
A bench headed by Justice Bela Trivedi heard the case against Siddique on September 30. The bench asked the victim why it took her eight years to come out to file her complaint. Advocate Vrinda Grover, who appeared for the woman, was asked by Justice Trivedi why it took her time to raise a complaint. Justice Trivedi asked, “What were you doing for eight years? What prevented you from filing a complaint for eight years?” Justice Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma asked Advocate Grover if she could give a “satisfactory, reasonable reply” for why the woman took almost a decade to file a complaint.
Advocate Grover highlighted the skewed power equations within the industry. She said that the woman was 19 years old when the incident took place. She said, “This has to be understood in the larger context. He was the secretary of a very powerful organization… He approached her on Facebook in 2014, saying he liked her pictures. She was 19 years old then.”
Speaking on behalf of Siddique, Mr Rohatgi said that the woman had come for a meeting at a hotel with her parents. He asked the court for protection and mentioned that his client would be available for the investigation.
Previously, the Kerala High Court had determined that there were sufficient initial grounds to file a criminal case against the actor. He faced charges under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint from a female actor after the findings of the Hema Committee came out. The High Court mentioned that his questioning was necessary after evaluating the details of the case, relevant legal principles, and the severity of the allegations made against him.
