Kerala Police move Chief Judicial Magistrate to record statement of woman who accused actor Siddique of rape 

Kerala Police seek statement from aspiring artist accusing actor Siddique of rape, as legal battle ensues.

The Kerala Police have reportedly moved the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Thiruvananthapuram, to record the statement of a young and aspiring artiste who publicly accused former Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) general secretary and veteran actor Siddique of raping her after luring the woman to a hotel in the capital under the pretext of auditioning her for an upcoming movie project in 2016. 

Officials said the police have reportedly sought the service of a woman magistrate to record the survivor’s statement in camera. The investigators supposedly believe that the sworn testimonial will give more gravity to their case against the actor. 

On Monday, the Museum police had booked Mr. Siddique on the charges of rape, intimidation and illegal detention. Mr. Siddique’s legal team was reportedly exploring the possibility of procuring anticipatory bail for the actor from the court. His defence lawyers will likely move an anticipatory bail application in the court of the Principal Sessions and District Judge, Thiruvananthapuram. 

The police have recorded the statement of the survivor and also her parents. A police team led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cantonment Subdivision, arrived at the Mascot Hotel, the alleged crime scene, and sought visitors’ records and guest registers related to the purported offence. 

The survivor had alleged on social media that Mr. Siddique had “exploited” her at the government-owned star hotel, and the actor was a regular at the establishment. 

Mr. Siddique has since denied the accusation and also moved the State Police Chief against what he reportedly termed as a plot to disparage his reputation.