In a crucial hearing, the Supreme Court on Tuesday, October 22, extended rape-accused Malayalam actor Siddique’s interim bail. The hearing has been adjourned to a later date after Siddique’s lawyer sought time to file a rejoinder to the Kerala police’s status report opposing his bail. The senior actor was granted interim anticipatory bail for two weeks on September 30 by an SC bench comprising Justices Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma after the Kerala High Court dismissed his plea citing that his custodial interrogation is inevitable for the case. During the interim period, Siddique was asked to cooperate with the investigation and abide by other bail conditions.

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, who appeared for the State of Kerala, argued that the actor was not cooperative and that he tried to tamper with the evidence, Live Law reports. When the SC bench cited an eight year delay from the survivor in filing the complaint, Ranjit Kumar pointed out that she has been vocal about her experience before the media all these years. He also argued that the grant of protection to Siddique is demoralising for many other survivors who have come out with their complaints of sexual harassment following the release of the Hema Committee report.

Advocate Vrinda Grover, who appeared for the survivor, brought to the court’s notice that it is difficult for a young female actor to go against a powerful industry stalwart, and that the woman has already paid the price for attempting to do this.

The Kerala police booked Siddique on August 27 on charges of rape and criminal intimidation, based on a young female actor’s complaint. The survivor stated in her complaint that Siddique allegedly invited her to a hotel where he sexually assaulted her. Siddique denied the allegations and resigned from the general secretary position of the  Association of the Malayalam Movie Artistes – the largest actors’ association in Malayalam cinema, formerly headed by Mohanlal.  

The survivor had spoken about the alleged assault in 2019, and she was encouraged to raise a police complaint now, in the wake of the recent Hema Committee report which has triggered a new Me Too wave in the Malayalam film industry.

The Justice Hema Committee report was published on August 19, nearly five years after its submission, and revealed rampant sexual harassment and power abuse in Malayalam cinema. After the report was made public, many women actors came out publicly to share their experiences of harassment. Some of them named prominent actors, directors, and production controllers, some of whom were booked and let out on bail.