Kerala Police to SC – ThePrint –

New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) 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, demoralized and intimidated him, 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 and prompted his fans to celebrate by distributing sweets on the day the bail case was first heard in the Supreme Court. This celebration is not only in bad taste but also a gross and light-hearted mockery of the seriousness of the legal proceedings pending against the petitioner, who has been accused of a very serious crime,” the report said.

Stressing the need for Siddique’s custodial interrogation, the Kerala police said it was essential to expose his “lie of justice before he goes down in history as a hero and is revered by generations to come as worthy of emulation”.

On September 30, the Supreme Court granted him interim protection from arrest in the case and ordered him to cooperate with the investigation.

Police said the actor, who has worked in over 350 Malayalam films, tried to disrupt the smooth progress of the investigation by “working overtime to weaken the case”.

The affidavit filed by Ajichandran Nair, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Thiruvananthapuram city, said: “This has severely demoralized and intimidated not only the victim but also other powerless victims in the film industry who were cautiously waiting for the outcome of the proceedings of the film industry. anticipatory bail hearing as the case is widely reported by the media and attracts significant public attention.” The police further said that the witnesses who bravely came forward following the Justice Hema Commission report would step back if the interim protection of the suspect was extended indefinitely.

“The investigation process is lengthy and will provide sufficient opportunity and time for the suspect to interfere with the investigation if his pre-arrest bail is extended indefinitely. It will be a barrier to effective research. In light of the complex investigation into the crime eight years ago, and the multiple layers of the chain of events that must be uncovered as part of the investigation, it is essential that the suspect remains in custody while the crucial investigation and evidence is carried out. There is a meeting going on,” police said.

Given the influence and power of the accused, some of the evidence will be tampered with and witnesses will be threatened, police said, underlining that the actor’s interrogation was “absolutely necessary”.

“It is my humble prayer for the court to dismiss his SLP as the cruelty of the accused crossed all limits. It is therefore imperative that he is exposed,” the report said.

Police said Siddique’s willingness to cooperate has been limited to merely appearing before the special investigation team after interim protection was granted by the apex court.

The actor was accused of failing to cooperate with police, who stressed that his custody was essential to piece together the sequence of events and recover the digital devices used to contact the survivor.

Police pointed out that Siddique was an extremely influential person in the society and said he had the ability to obstruct justice and destroy the investigative machinery.

It added that after the rejection of the bail application by the Kerala High Court on September 23, Siddique immediately absconded like a habitual criminal, evading arrest and escaping the clutches of the law.

“He only resurfaced after a week, after the Supreme Court granted interim protection. All this highlights the suspect’s unwillingness to cooperate with the investigating agency, as well as wait for time to destroy evidence and change circumstances in his favor,” police said.

Siddique, who was charged with offenses under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), has alleged in his plea that the complaining 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 several directors and actors in the wake of the revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report.

The committee was set up by the Kerala government after the 2017 sexual assault case against actresses and the report revealed cases of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam film industry.

Following the allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation against several actors and directors, the state government on August 25 announced the formation of a seven-member special investigation team to probe the allegations. PTI MNL AMK RC

This report is automatically generated by PTI news service. ThePrint is not responsible for its content.