Supreme Court Grants Interim Protection to Actor Siddique in Rape Case

The Supreme Court extended interim protection from arrest for Malayalam actor Siddique in a rape case. Siddique's lawyer cited health issues while refuting claims of non-cooperation. Kerala Police accused Siddique of obstructing the investigation by destroying electronic devices and deleting social media accounts.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the interim protection from arrest granted to Malayalam actor Siddique in connection with an alleged rape case. The bench, comprising Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, prolonged the interim order initially granted on September 30, directing Siddique to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

During the proceedings, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Siddique, requested more time to prepare due to a throat condition, while stating that Siddique had met the complainant only once and had lost possession of his phone and laptop from 2016. The bench allowed Siddique to file a rejoinder affidavit addressing the claims made by Kerala Police, who accused the actor of non-cooperation.

Kerala Police alleged that Siddique had obstructed their investigation by destroying electronic evidence and deleting social media accounts. In response, Siddique asserted his cooperation and contested the police's allegations in his rejoinder affidavit. The court extended Siddique's protection from arrest for an additional two weeks, pending further legal arguments.

(With inputs from agencies.)