The Kerala High Court has scheduled the hearing for actor Siddique’s anticipatory bail plea in a sexual harassment case for September 12. The Kerala High Court has scheduled the hearing for actor Siddique’s anticipatory bail plea in a sexual assault case for September 12. Siddique, a well-known Malayalam actor, is facing serious allegations of sexual harassment and abuse. He has filed for anticipatory bail to avoid arrest while the case is being investigated.
The FIR against Siddique was registered following a complaint from a female actor, prompting the police in Thiruvananthapuram to take action. Siddique, who faces charges under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation), has alleged that the female actor who filed the complaint has been subjecting him to a “prolonged campaign of harassment and false accusations” since 2019.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, in his anticipatory bail plea, Siddique has further claimed that the female actor has repeatedly made unsubstantiated and false claims of sexual misconduct and verbal sexual offers by him in a theatre back in 2016. These allegations, he asserts, have been ongoing for the past five years. The actor said in his plea, “She has now raised contradictory allegations of a more serious crime of rape at a different place in the same year.”
Siddique has also claimed that the female actor was informed that attempted sexual assault charges are bailable, meaning he would not be arrested for those. However, he would be taken into custody if charged with rape. According to Siddique, this is the reason she raised the more serious rape allegations to ensure his arrest.
He resigned from his position as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) following the allegations.
Another Malayalam actor, Baburaj has also come under legal scrutiny. Baburaj, known for his roles in films such as Veerame Vagai Choodum and Sketch, faces a sexual harassment complaint from a woman who claims she was exploited under the pretence of a film opportunity.
According to the complaint filed with the Kerala DIG, the woman, who had previously worked as a receptionist at Baburaj’s resort in Munnar, was promised a role in the 2018 film Koodasha. Following this, Baburaj invited her to his home in Aluva to discuss another film, where she alleges, she was sexually assaulted.
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