Kerala High Court instructed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating cases stemming from the Hema Committee report to appoint a nodal officer On Wednesday. This officer will serve as a point of contact for individuals who have received threat messages, allowing them to file complaints.
The Hema Committee was established in response to a 2017 sexual assault case involving an actor and submitted its findings to the Chief Minister on December 31, 2019.
In a related development, the Supreme Court extended interim protection from arrest to actor Siddique in connection with a rape case. A bench comprising Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma granted this relief until the next hearing date. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Siddique, informed the court that the investigation agency had repeatedly inquired about his phone and laptop from 2016, which he no longer possesses.
The Supreme Court sought clarification from the Kerala Police regarding Siddique’s attendance during questioning. The Kerala Government responded that he had been appearing but was not cooperating fully. Justice Sharma noted that Siddique had given his old phone to a shop when he purchased a new one.
Rohatgi requested an adjournment due to a sore throat. Siddique had approached the Supreme Court seeking anticipatory bail in the ongoing rape case. Previously, the Kerala Police issued a lookout notice for Siddique, suspecting he might flee the state after the Kerala High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail application.
The case is currently under investigation by the SIT established by the Kerala government. Siddique was charged by the museum police in Thiruvananthapuram on August 27, following a complaint from a young actress alleging rape and criminal intimidation. Siddique has firmly denied these allegations.
This situation arose amid a wave of accusations in the Malayalam film industry, triggered by the “Me Too” movement, which exposed various instances of sexual abuse earlier in August. In the wake of these allegations, Siddique resigned from his position as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), leading to the resignation of the entire 17-member executive committee of the organization. Several women actors have made serious accusations against prominent figures in the industry, including director Ranjith and actors Mukesh, Jayasurya, and Edavela Babu, among others.
