Malayalam actor Siddique is missing after the Kerala High Court rejected his request for protection from arrest in a rape case filed by an actress. The police searched his homes but couldn't find him, and his phones are turned off. They've issued an alert at all exit points in the country, especially airports.
The case against Siddique started when an actress accused him of raping her in a state-owned hotel in 2016. Initially hesitant, she later emailed the police, alleging that Siddique raped her after she refused his sexual advances in exchange for a movie role. This revelation led Siddique to resign as General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), followed by the entire committee's resignation.
Siddique argued in court that the actress had been harassing him since 2019 with claims on social media about his inappropriate behavior. He said her rape accusation came after the Justice Hema Committee report exposed the poor treatment of women in the Malayalam film industry.
The Special Investigation Team, looking into the exploitation of women in the film industry, is also under pressure to submit a report to the High Court soon.
The Justice Hema Committee report has caused major problems for the Malayalam film industry. After its release, several former actresses spoke out about their negative experiences, leading to 11 police cases against various film personalities, including actor-turned-politician Mukesh Madhavan, Nivin Pauly, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble.
Some of those accused, including Mukesh, Ranjith, Raju, Prakash, and now Jayasurya, have received court protection from arrest. Siddique is the first to apply for and be denied anticipatory bail.
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