Actor Siddique on the run after pre-arrest bail plea rejected in rape case

The Kerala Police issued a lookout notice for Malayalam actor Siddique, suspecting he may have fled the state. This comes after his pre-arrest bail plea in a rape case was rejected by Kerala High Court.

In Short

• Police intensify search for actor Siddique
• Lookout notice issued, cops suspect he fled state
• Actor moves Supreme Court seeking anticipatory bail in rape case

A day after the Kerala High Court rejected Malayalam actor Siddique's anticipatory bail plea in a rape case filed by an actor, the state police have stepped up efforts to trace him, as he is reportedly on the run

The 61-year-old actor’s phone has remained switched off since his pre-arrest bail petition was rejected on Tuesday. A police team visited Siddique's house in Aluva near Kochi, but found it locked. It is believed that the actor is not present at his residence.

The police have also issued a lookout notice for the actor, suspecting he may have fled the state. The notice has been circulated to all district police chiefs in Kerala and shared with police chiefs of other states as well.

An FIR was registered against Siddique on August 27 on charges of rape, based on the complaint of a female actor who alleged that he invited her to a hotel to attend a preview of his movie and sexually assaulted her.

The complaint came after the release of the Hema Committee report on August 19, which highlighted instances of sexual harassment and other issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry.

The survivor has expressed concern about the actor’s disappearance and voiced fears that the Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed by the state government to probe the allegations in the Hema Committee report, may be protecting him.

Following the allegations, Siddique resigned as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), the largest actors' body in Mollywood.

Siddique has been charged with rape (Section 376) and criminal intimidation (Section 506). In his anticipatory bail plea, he claimed that the complainant had subjected him to a "prolonged campaign of harassment and false accusations since 2019."

Siddique has now moved the Supreme Court, challenging the Kerala High Court’s order denying him anticipatory bail. According to the Supreme Court website, he has approached the top court through his counsel, Ranjeeta Rohatgi.