Kerala HC dismisses actor Sidhique's anticipatory bail plea in rape case
Kochi (PTI): The Kerala High Court on Tuesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Malayalam film actor Sidhique in a rape case registered against him based on a complaint by an actress.
"Application is dismissed," Justice C S Dias said.
The detailed order giving reasons for rejecting the actor's plea is not yet available.
Sidhique, who was booked for offences under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation), has claimed in his plea that the complainant female actor, has subjected him to the "prolonged campaign of harassment and false accusations since 2019".
In his anticipatory bail plea, he further claimed that she had repeatedly, for the past five years, made unsubstantiated and false claims of sexual misbehaviour and 'verbal sexual offers' by him in a theatre in 2016.
"But now she has raised totally contradictory allegation of more serious crime of rape at a different place in the same year," he had said in his plea.
Sidhique had resigned from his post as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) following the allegations against him.
Multiple FIRs have been registered against many high-profile Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors in the wake of revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report.
The committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealing instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.
Following the allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation cropping up against several actors and directors, the state government on August 25 announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team to probe them.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Himachal: Three killed, two injured as speeding car dashes against parked truck
Mandi (HP) (PTI): Three people were killed and two others sustained grievous injuries after a speeding car dashed against a stationary truck at Dadour near Nerchowk in Mandi district on Monday late at night, police said on Tuesday.
There were five people in the car when the tragedy struck. Three were declared dead in the hospital while two have been referred to AIIMS Bilaspur.
The deceased were identified as Anil Kumar (28), Rohit Kumar (26) and Subash Kumar (23), all residents of Mandi district, while the injured are Harish and Pankaj.
A case has been registered under relevant sections and investigations are underway, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Mandi Vinod Kumar.
He added that the bodies have been handed over to the family members of the deceased.
In a statement, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over the loss of three lives in a road accident. He directed the district administration to ensure best possible treatment for the injured and wished them a speedy recovery.
