Kerala Police Issue Lookout Notice for Actor Siddique Amid Rape Case Investigation
Kochi (Kerala) [India], September 26: Kerala Police have issued a lookout notice for actor Siddique, suspecting he may have fled the state amid an ongoing investigation into a rape case. The notice has been sent to all district police chiefs in Kerala and police chiefs of all states.
Actor Siddique is allegedly on the run after the Kerala High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail application. The case is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team of the Kerala government. The museum police in Thiruvananthapuram registered a case against Siddique on August 27 under charges of rape and criminal intimidation, based on a complaint filed by a young actor.
Siddique has categorically denied the accusations and has filed a countercomplaint against the victim. A comprehensive court order is pending.
The Malayalam film industry has recently been rocked by a “Me Too” movement exposing various allegations of sexual abuse. Following the allegations, Siddique resigned from his position as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). Consequently, the entire 17-member executive committee of AMMA also resigned.
Serious accusations have been made by several women actors against prominent figures in the industry, including director Ranjith and actors Mukesh, Jayasurya, and Edavela Babu, among others. The surge in these allegations came in the wake of the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which exposed disturbing accounts of harassment, exploitation, and the systematic mistreatment of women in the industry. The report, made public on August 19, after redacting the names of witnesses and the accused, noted that the Malayalam film industry is controlled by about 10 to 15 male producers, directors, and actors who dominate and exert control over the industry.
Doubts Revealed
Kerala Police -: Kerala Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Kerala in India. They help keep people safe and catch those who break the law.
Lookout Notice -: A lookout notice is a warning sent to police stations and airports to watch for a person who might be trying to escape or hide.
Actor Siddique -: Actor Siddique is a famous actor in the Malayalam film industry, which makes movies in the Malayalam language spoken in Kerala.
Rape Case Investigation -: A rape case investigation is when the police look into a serious crime where someone is accused of forcing another person to have sex without their consent.
Kerala High Court -: The Kerala High Court is a big court in the state of Kerala that makes important legal decisions and can approve or deny requests like bail.
Anticipatory Bail -: Anticipatory bail is when someone asks the court to allow them to stay out of jail while they are being investigated for a crime, even before they are arrested.
Criminal Intimidation -: Criminal intimidation means threatening someone to make them scared or force them to do something they don’t want to do.
Countercomplaint -: A countercomplaint is when the person accused of a crime files their own complaint against the person who accused them, saying they did something wrong too.
Malayalam Film Industry -: The Malayalam film industry, also known as Mollywood, makes movies in the Malayalam language, which is spoken in Kerala.
Sexual Abuse Allegations -: Sexual abuse allegations are claims that someone has been hurt or treated badly in a sexual way without their consent.
Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) -: AMMA is a group of people who work in the Malayalam film industry, like actors and directors, who come together to support each other and solve problems.