In a relief to veteran Malayalam actor Siddique, the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted him anticipatory bail in a rape case.A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma said the veteran actor will have to deposit his passport and cooperate with the investigating officer in the probe.
The top court also took note of the fact that the complaint in the case was filed in August, eight years after the alleged incident took place in 2016.
“We deem it appropriate not to assign elaborate reasons, particularly considering the sensitivity of the case.
“However, considering the fact that the complainant had filed the complaint almost eight years after the alleged incident which had taken place in 2016 and the complainant had also posted the posts on Facebook somewhere in 2018 making allegations about 14 people, including the appellant, with regard to the alleged sexual abuse and also the fact that she had not gone to the Hema Committee, which was set up by the Government of Kerala, we are inclined to allow the present appeal subject to some conditions,” the bench observed.
Questioning the complainant over the delay in lodging the complaint, the bench said, “She had the courage to make a post on Facebook in 2021 but could not go to police and lodge an FIR.”
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Siddique, contended that his reputation is being tarnished and that he has not met the complainant since 2016.
“She has made allegations on social media against all and alleged sexual abuse. She named 14 people in 2018 on her social media post and tarnished my image and indulged in my character assassination,” Rohatgi submitted.
The senior lawyer told the court that Siddique, 66, has been an actor since 1986.
Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Kerala government, said that since this court granted interim protection from arrest to Siddique, he has not been cooperating with the investigation.