Siddique’s Phone Rings After a Day of Silence as Police Search Continues

Malayalam actor Siddique has been absconding since Tuesday and briefly turned on his phone on Wednesday after it had been switched off for over a day. When Manorama News tried to contact him, the call was disconnected immediately. Siddique went into hiding after the Kerala High Court rejected his anticipatory bail in a rape case, and the Kerala police have since been unable to locate him.

Siddique is expected to approach the Supreme Court in hopes of avoiding arrest. Meanwhile, Crime Branch chief Sparjan Kumar has instructed the Kochi police to arrest the actor. Reports indicate that a lookout circular has been issued at all airports to prevent Siddique from fleeing the country. He has not been found at his residence in Kakkanad, and his phone remains switched off again. The survivor in the case has criticized the police for their failure to monitor Siddique, especially since his bail rejection was expected. Despite being on the run, Siddique was recently seen attending the funeral of actor Kaviyoor Ponnamma.

Siddique was charged by the Museum Police in Thiruvananthapuram after a young female actor accused him of raping her at the Mascot Hotel in the city on January 28, 2016. The incident occurred after a preview of the film Sukhamayirikatte. The complaint came to light following the release of the Hema Committee report, which shed light on the violence and harassment women face in the Malayalam film industry. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is now expected to interrogate Siddique upon his arrest. In addition to the rape charge, he also faces allegations of criminal intimidation under IPC Section 506.

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After the report of the Hema Committee a SIT was set up and it has registered 23 cases based on complaints from women in the film industry. In Siddique’s case, the police collected many key evidence that is showing that both he and the complainant were at the hotel on the day of the alleged crime. This evidence played a role in the High Court’s decision to reject his bail request. After these accusations came to light, Siddique resigned from his role as General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). He has denied all the charges, claiming they are part of a conspiracy against him.