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Kerala Police issued a lookout notice against actor Siddique, suspecting he may have fled the state in connection with the ongoing investigation into a rape case.
The notice has been issued to all district police chiefs in Kerala as well as the police chiefs of all states. Actor Siddique is allegedly on the run after the Kerala High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail application. The case is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team of the Kerala government. The museum police in Thiruvananthapuram registered a case against Siddique on August 27 under charges of rape and criminal intimidation, based on the complaint filed by a young actor. However, Siddique has categorically denied the accusations, and a comprehensive court order is pending. He also filed a countercomplaint against the victim. The Malayalam film industry has recently been rocked by a "Me Too" movement exposing various allegations of sexual abuse. Following the allegations, Siddique resigned from his position as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). Consequently, the entire 17-member executive committee of AMMA also resigned. Serious accusations have been made by several women actors against prominent figures in the industry, including director Ranjith and actors Mukesh, Jayasurya, and Edavela Babu, among others. The surge in these allegations came in the wake of the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which exposed disturbing accounts of harassment, exploitation, and the systematic mistreatment of women in the industry. The report, made public on August 19, after redacting the names of witnesses and the accused, noted that the Malayalam film industry is controlled by about 10 to 15 male producers, directors, and actors who dominate and exert control over the industry. (ANI)
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