Malayalam actor Siddique, on Monday, September 2, approached the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail over the rape case filed by a young actor. The senior actor was booked by the Museum police in Thiruvananthapuram on August 27 under charges of rape and criminal intimidation.
In her complaint, the survivor said that she met Siddique during a movie premiere in 2016. Following the meeting, the actor allegedly invited the survivor to a hotel and assaulted her.
“He had called me to his hotel to talk about an offer to act with his son. He called me mole [roughly translated to daughter]. So I did not doubt his intentions. But such a movie did not exist. It was a trap. He abused me sexually. Whatever he says today are blatant lies. What he did was rape. He touched me without consent and physically assaulted me (hit and kicked me). I’d like to buy him a mirror, he must be lying to himself. I had to give up my dreams, my time, and I had to go through a lot of mental issues. This should happen to no one. I got justice from no door that I knocked,” the actor told the media on August 24.
Siddique has however denied the allegations. Following the allegations, he also resigned from the role of general secretary from the Association of the Malayalam Movie Artistes – the largest actors’ association.
The survivor had spoken up about the alleged assault in 2019 too. But in the wake of the Hema Committee report which has triggered a new wave of Me Too movement in the Malayalam film industry, the survivor has approached the police and filed a complaint.
The Justice Hema Committee report was published on August 19, nearly after nearly five years, revealed the wide prevalence of sexual harassment in the film industry. After the report was made public, many women actors have come out publicly to share their horrid experiences of harassment. Some of them named prominent actors, directors, and production controllers.