The Kerala High Court on Tuesday denied Malayalam film actor Siddique’s request for anticipatory bail in a case pertaining to the alleged rape of a young actor, Live Law reported.

The actor has accused Siddique of raping her at a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. The police booked Siddique for rape and criminal intimidation in August. He was also accused of illegally detaining and threatening the woman.

The complainant is among several women from the Malayalam film industry who have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct by their male colleagues following the release of the Justice Hema committee report.

Siddique’s petition contended that the allegations against him were made in retaliation for a press conference that he had jointly conducted with other office bearers of the Association of Malayalam Movie Actors, soon after the Justice Hema committee report was published.

The same woman had made certain allegations against him in 2019, Siddique said, adding that important details in her account had been altered so that he could be booked for a non-bailable offence.

The state government, however, said that though there were minor variations in the statements given by the young actor, she had nevertheless publicly accused Siddique of misbehaving with her several times since 2019.

After the release of the Justice Hema committee report, other members of the Malayalam film industry who have been booked on charges of sexual misconduct include actor and Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA M Mukesh, actor Jayasurya and director VA Shrikumar Menon.

However, Siddique is the only one among them whose application for bail was rejected, The Indian Express reported.

Mukesh arrested, released on bail in rape case

Hours after the High Court denied bail to Siddique, Mukesh was arrested on Tuesday on charges of rape, The Indian Express reported.

However, he was released on bail soon after as a sessions court in Ernakulam had granted him anticipatory bail in the case on September 5.

Mukesh was booked on the complaint of an actor who alleged that he raped her in 2010 at his Kochi flat after promising her a membership in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists.

On August 26, the actor had levelled allegations of sexual misconduct, and physical and verbal assault against several colleagues and technicians in the Malayalam film industry, including Mukesh and former general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists Edavela Babu.

A case was then filed against Mukesh, who is the MLA from Kollam, and Babu, among others. Judge Honey M Varghese granted anticipatory bail to Babu on September 5.

Also read: What the Hema Committee report on Malayalam cinema says