The long-delayed release of the Justice Hema Committee’s explosive report, which revealed how women artists were sexually exploited in the Malayalam film industry, has triggered a flood of complaints against top actors, who have gone to court seeking anticipatory bail. On Monday, it was Siddique, former general secretary of the Justice Hema Committee, who revealed how women artists were sexually exploited in the Malayalam film industry. AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) who filed a petition in the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail in a rape case filed against him by an actress.
Siddique, in his plea, said that the complainant has been harassing him since 2019 by repeatedly making claims on social media that he attempted to sexually misbehave with her at a theatre in 2016. “It is clear that the de facto complainant is aware that mere allegation of attempted sexual assault is a bailable offence and therefore, the petitioner was not detainable and it is to make out a case to justify the arrest and detention of the petitioner that the de facto complainant has now levelled an allegation of rape,” his plea read.
Last week, actor-turned-CPI-M legislator Mukesh and director VKPakash sought bail, with the former getting interim relief from arrest till Tuesday. The “male hegemony” of the Malayalam film industry came to light with the release of the Hema Committee report and so far, FIRs have been registered against nine film personalities, including Mukesh, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyan Pillai Raju, directors Ranjith and Prakash, production executives Vichu and Noble, after complaints were lodged by female actors.
The case against Siddique The case was registered following allegations by an actress who claimed that he raped her at a state-run hotel in the state capital. Following the revelation, Siddique resigned from AMMA and a few days later, AMMA’s 17-member executive committee headed by its president, superstar Mohanlal, resigned, leaving the organisation, which has around 500 actors, headless.
With the resignation of AMMA officials and cracks showing in the Federation of Cine Employees of Kerala (FEFKA), the body of 21 different organisations spanning from light boys to high-profile directors, the Malayalam film industry seems to have received a rude jolt.
All eyes are now on the fate of these bail applications even as the seven-member police investigation team, which includes four women IPS officers, goes ahead with recording statements from the victims, especially now that Mukesh’s case is coming up again on Tuesday. However, none of the accused have been summoned to appear before the investigation team so far. The Congress and BJP parties are outraged and have alleged that the Pinarayi Vijayan government is in cahoots with the miscreants even as they claim to be on the side of the victims.
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