Complaint Filed 8 Years Later: Supreme Court Approves Anticipatory Bail for Malayalam Actor Siddique in Rape Case.

The Supreme Court has accepted the appeal of Malayalam actor Siddique, who challenged the denial of his anticipatory bail request in a rape case against him. The court reviewed an appeal concerning the Kerala High Court’s decision that rejected Siddique’s bail application under Section 438 of the Cr.P.C. related to the F.I.R. filed under Sections 376 and 506 of the IPC. The judges, Justice Bela M. Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, noted that the complaint was made nearly eight years after the alleged incident, which occurred in 2016. They pointed out that the complainant had also made a Facebook post in 2018, accusing about 14 individuals, including Siddique, of sexual abuse.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi represented Siddique, while AOR Nishad L.S. represented the other side. The complaint was filed almost eight years after the incident, and the victim had not approached the Justice Hema Committee set up by the Kerala High Court to express her concerns. Given these factors, the court accepted the appeal and set certain conditions. The court ruled that if Siddique is arrested in connection with the F.I.R. numbered Crime No.1192 of 2024, dated 27.08.2024, at the Police Station Museum in Thiruvananthapuram City, he should be granted bail. This is contingent on conditions set by the Trial Court, including the requirement for Siddique to surrender his passport and cooperate with the investigation.

Cause Title: Siddique v. State of Kerala & Anr. [Neutral Citation- 2024 INSC 877]