Kerala Police in Supreme Court seek custodial interrogation of actor Siddique
PTI
Trigger warning: Sexual assault
The Supreme Court was informed by the Kerala Police that the interim protection from arrest granted to Malayalam film actor Siddique in a rape case had emboldened him, demoralised and intimidated not only the survivor but also others in the film industry.
"The Supreme Court order granting interim relief to the petitioner has emboldened the accused, leading his fans to celebrate by distributing sweets on the day the bail matter was first heard in the Supreme Court. This celebration, apart from being in poor taste, is a crass and a light-hearted mockery of the seriousness of the legal proceedings that are underway," it said. The police, which filed a status report on October 19, said though the investigation was at an initial stage, there was a "stockpile of evidence" against him.
Emphasising the need for Siddique's custodial interrogation, Kerala police said it was essential to expose his "lie of righteousness before he goes down in history as a hero and gets venerated by subsequent generations as worthy of emulation".
On September 30, the top court granted him interim protection from arrest in the case and directed him to cooperate in the investigation. Siddique, who was booked for offences under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), has claimed in his plea that complainant woman had subjected him to a "prolonged campaign of harassment and false accusations since 2019".
Multiple FIRs have been registered against many high-profile Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors in the wake of the revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report.
The Supreme Court was informed by the Kerala Police that the interim protection from arrest granted to Malayalam film actor Siddique in a rape case had emboldened him, demoralised and intimidated not only the survivor but also others in the film industry.
"The Supreme Court order granting interim relief to the petitioner has emboldened the accused, leading his fans to celebrate by distributing sweets on the day the bail matter was first heard in the Supreme Court. This celebration, apart from being in poor taste, is a crass and a light-hearted mockery of the seriousness of the legal proceedings that are underway," it said. The police, which filed a status report on October 19, said though the investigation was at an initial stage, there was a "stockpile of evidence" against him.
Emphasising the need for Siddique's custodial interrogation, Kerala police said it was essential to expose his "lie of righteousness before he goes down in history as a hero and gets venerated by subsequent generations as worthy of emulation".
On September 30, the top court granted him interim protection from arrest in the case and directed him to cooperate in the investigation. Siddique, who was booked for offences under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), has claimed in his plea that complainant woman had subjected him to a "prolonged campaign of harassment and false accusations since 2019".
Multiple FIRs have been registered against many high-profile Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors in the wake of the revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report.