Kerala Police in Supreme Court seek custodial interrogation of actor Siddique

Opposing regular bail to the Malayalam actor, the police, represented by advocate Nishe Rajen Shonker, said any grant of leeway would be a blow to the policy of zero tolerance towards crimes against women and children

The Kerala Police have filed a report in the Supreme Court, urging custodial interrogation of Malayalam actor Siddique in a sexual assault case, saying it was “essential to expose his lie of righteousness before he goes down in history as a hero”.

The State Police said there was a “stockpile of evidence” against Mr. Siddique, who was granted anticipatory bail by the top court in September.

Opposing regular bail to Mr. Siddique, the police, represented by advocate Nishe Rajen Shonker, said any grant of leeway to the actor would be a blow to the policy of zero tolerance towards crimes against women and children.

“The petitioner’s influence, the risk to the integrity of the investigation, and the broader public interest in cases involving crimes against women are strong grounds for opposing bail,” the report filed through Ajichandran Nair, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Narcotic Cell, Thiruvananthapuram City, submitted.

The police said Siddique had a lookout notice issued against him on September 25.

“The petitioner (Siddique) absconded. He re-surfaced only after a week once the Supreme Court granted interim protection. All this highlights the unwillingness of the accused to cooperate with the investigating agency, and also bide time to destroy evidence and turn circumstances in his favour,” the report filed on October 19 said.

Mr. Siddique’s “willingness’ to cooperate with the investigation is limited to appearing before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) after the interim protection was granted by the Supreme Court.

“However, he has not cooperated in the interrogation and [has] given evasive, contradictory and tutored answers to the police, citing forgetfulness, knowing fully well that he is under the interim protection of the Supreme Court. The custodial interrogation of the petitioner is vital to the case for unearthing the exact sequence of events that have unfolded in the last eight years, and also for recovery of the digital devices which the petitioner has used to contact the victim,” the police report said.

The report said the actor had not shared details of his Facebook, Skype and other social media accounts, or electronic gadgets and vehicles used in the relevant period, in order to verify the communication between the victim and the petitioner.

He had merely appeared on October 7, 2024 with a signed letter stating “the instruments which I had used earlier were discarded by me… these instruments have no relevance to your investigation”.

“It is essential that the accused is in custody while the crucial investigation and evidence gathering is underway,” the police underscored.

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The report argued that the victim was 19 years old when she was first contacted by the accused in the case. She was 21 at the time of the alleged crime. The police contended that a mere delay in lodging the First Information Report (FIR) could be a ground by itself for throwing the entire prosecution case overboard.

“In fact, the victim has time and again come out in social media alleging sexual harassment at the hands of the petitioner. These were outbursts of her trauma as stated by the victim. It is also valid to note that the statements of the psychologist and psychiatrist consulted by the victim has been recorded, and they have attested that the complainant is a victim of sexual abuse and has suffered trauma,” the report said.

Published - October 21, 2024 10:39 pm IST