MeToo case: SC grants anticipatory bail to Malayalam actor Siddique noting 'complainant posted on Facebook but not reached Hema Committee'

Siddique was accused of sexual assault by a young actress. He has denied the charges.

The top court has asked Siddique to deposit his passport in the lower court and cooperate with probe officials.

The lower court has been given the task to decide on the conditions of the bail.

The charges against Siddique were brought in the wake of the Hema Committee report that has reportedly exposed shocking details about the Malayalam film industry including casting couch and exploitation of women.

The top court has noted that the complaint against Siddique was filed eight years after the alleged incident.

It also noted that the complainant had not gone to the Justice Hema Committee, which was probing the sexual harassment case in the south Indian film industry.

The top court bench said as quoted by Live Law, "We deem it appropriate not to assign elaborate reasons, particularly considering the sensitivity of the case.

"However, considering the fact that the complainant had filed the complaint almost eight years after the alleged incident which had taken place in 2016 and the complainant had also posted the posts on Facebook somewhere in 2018 making allegations about 14 people including the appellant with regard to the alleged sexual abuse and also the fact that she had not gone to the Hema Committee, which was set up by the Government of Kerala, we are inclined to accept the present appeal."

Siddique was denied an anticipatory bail by the Kerala High Court in September.

He was granted interim protection by the Supreme Court after the police issued a warrant against the veteran actor.