Kerala: Actor Siddique arrested for rape and criminal intimidation | Latest news from India

He is accused of raping an actress in a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in January 2016 after calling her there under the pretext of discussing a “non-existent” film project.

Also read: Mohanlal and Mammootty’s silence on Hema committee report is baffling: Everything that has happened so far

Police said a first information report (FIR) has been filed against Siddique under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Since the alleged assault took place in 2016, sections of the IPC have been filed instead of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS). Both the sections are non-bailable.

“The investigation is being led by the SIT,” an official from the museum police station told HT.

This is the second FIR registered in connection with a spate of ‘MeToo’ allegations of sexual harassment levelled by female actors and technicians against prominent male industry figures after the Hema Committee report highlighted alleged systematic abuse of women in the industry.

On Monday, an FIR was filed against filmmaker Ranjith at the Ernakulam North police station on charges of misconduct following a complaint by a Bengali actress.

Siddique, 61, who acted in over 350 films, mostly in Malayalam, resigned from his post as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) on August 22 following the allegations. According to the FIR, he also threatened the actress after the alleged attack.

Siddique has since protested her innocence and filed a complaint with the state police chief, alleging that the actress had an intention behind the allegations.

“I was a young newcomer to the industry at that time. He (Siddique) invited me to a hotel under the pretext of discussing a film project. There was no such film. It was a trap. He sexually abused and raped me. He also physically attacked me. I had to give up my dreams and my time and went through a lot of psychological trauma,” the actress told media representatives last week.

On Tuesday, AMMA President Mohanlal resigned and the 17-member executive committee was dissolved in the wake of sexual allegations against Siddique and other members of the influential film organization.