Police intensify search for rape accused Malayalam actor Sidhique

Thiruvananthapuram: With the whereabouts unknown of Malayalam actor Sidhique, who was denied anticipatory bail by the Kerala High Court in a rape case, the police have intensified their search for him by publishing a lookout notice in newspapers seeking information about him.

The lookout notice in the newspapers states that 65-year-old Sidhique is an accused in a rape-cum-criminal intimidation case and anyone with information about him should contact the Commissioner of Police of Thiruvananthapuram city or the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Thiruvananthapuram Range.

Besides them, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Narcotic cell, Thiruvananthapuram or the Museum police station can also be contacted, the notice said.

The notice, which carries a photo of the actor, also contains his physical description -- 5.7 feet tall and well-built.

Sidhique has moved the Supreme Court seeking anticipatory bail in the rape case after the Kerala High Court on Tuesday ( September 24), had denied him relief.

The High Court had said that in view of the seriousness of the accusations he was facing, his custodial interrogation was inevitable for proper investigation of the crime.

It had further said that since Sidhique's defence was "a total denial of the incident", his potency test was yet to be conducted and there being a "reasonable apprehension" that he may intimidate witnesses and tamper with evidence, "it was not a fit case to exercise the discretionary powers of the court" to grant him the relief.

Sidhique, who was booked for offences under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation), had claimed in his plea that the complainant female actor, had subjected him to a "prolonged campaign of harassment and false accusations since 2019".

In his anticipatory bail plea, he further claimed that she had repeatedly, for the past five years, made unsubstantiated and false claims of sexual misbehaviour and 'verbal sexual offers' by him in a theatre in 2016.

Sidhique had resigned from his post as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) following the allegations against him by the female actor.

Multiple FIRs have been registered against many high-profile Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors in the wake of revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report.

The committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealing instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.

Following the allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation cropping up against several actors and directors, the state government on August 25 announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team to probe them.