THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Museum police on Wednesday booked actor Siddique for rape, days after an actress accused him of sexually abusing her. The case was registered based on a complaint lodged by the actress, who initially, while speaking to the media had said that she will not be filing a case against the actor as it could affect her future.
The actress sent a mail to the State Police Chief on Tuesday alleging that Siddique had raped her in a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016. The case will now be transferred to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing allegations of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry.
The SIT will record the statements of the complainant and proceed with legal action.
The actress had alleged that Siddique forced himself on her after she refused to give in to his demands for sexual favours in return for a role in a Tamil movie.
It may be recalled that Siddique was forced to step down as AMMA general secretary following allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by the actress.
Siddique had earlier filed a complaint with the police chief alleging that there was an agenda behind the allegation against him.
There is a flurry of activities in the Malayalam film industry after the Justice Hema Committee report was released recently. Described as the Malayalam film industry's #MeToo movement, encouraged by the report which was made possible by the efforts of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), several actresses have come forward to lodge complaints against actors and filmmakers who are now, more or less, running for cover. The Justice Hema Committee was constituted after the sexual assault of a leading actress in 2017.
