Malayalam actor Siddique booked for rape and criminal intimidation: Reports

Malayalam actor Siddique, who stepped down from his general secretary position of Association Of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), has been booked for rape and criminal intimdiation following a complaint filed by an actress. 

According to a report in The News Minute, an actress lodged a complaint with the state Police Chief Sheikh Darvesh Saheb and the Thiruvananthapuram  Commissioner Of Police G Sparjan Kumar. He has also been reportedly slapped with non-bailable offences. 

In her claim, she said that Siddique had sexually assualted her in a hotel room in 2016. The actress had spoken about the incident in 2019 in a Facebook post detailing the traumatic episode.

According to a report in Manorama news, the actress was emboldened to file a complaint when a woman from the Special Investigation Team formed by the Kerala goverment following the release of the Hema Committee findings on August 19, reached out to her and extended the team's full support.

Meanwhile, Siddique has filed a police complaint claiming that the rape allegations are a part of an "agenda".

The veteran actor's calling out resulted in a watershed moment in Malayalam cinema's history. AMMA president Mohanlal and 17 other executive members tendered their mass resignation yesterday claiming their quitting was a part of their "moral responsibility".

Several members from AMMA including Baburaj, Mukesh, and Jayasurya have been accused of sexual misconduct.

Siddique isn't alone in courting trouble. On August 26, a case was registered against Malayalam director Ranjith Balakrishnan after Bengali talent Sreelekha Mitra filed a police complaint against him for allegedly sexually harassing her in 2009. She claimed she was in Kerala to discuss a role in one of his projects when he made inappropriate advances. Following her allegations, Ranjith resigned from his post as chairperson of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy.