Kochi: Actor and CPI(M) MLA Mukesh was on Tuesday arrested in an alleged rape case while another actor Siddique who faced similar accusations was denied anticipatory bail by the Kerala High Court, as the police probe into complaints against Malayalam film industry personalities following revelations in the Hema Committee report moved forward.
Mukesh, a ruling party legislator, was released on bail after his formal arrest by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was recorded since he has already secured anticipatory bail from a sessions court in Kochi earlier this month.
Before his arrest on a complaint by a female actor that she was allegedly raped a decade ago in Kochi, Mukesh, who appeared before the SIT at the Coastal Police Headquarters here at 9.45 am, was interrogated for three-and-a-half hours. Mukesh’s lawyer said that the actor was arrested, his medical examination and potency test carried out and later released.
The police, meanwhile, has launched a manhunt for Siddique after his bail plea in a 2016 rape case involving a young actress was rejected by the high court.
The rape complaints against both actors along with those against a few other film personalities were filed after the state Culture Ministry released the Justice K Hema Committee report last month.
The committee was established by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case. Its report highlighted instances of alleged harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.
Two cases were registered against Mukesh, one by the Wadakkanchery police and the other by the Maradu police.
Ernakulam District and Sessions granted bail to Mukesh on September 5 in connection with the rape case filed against him by the female actor, who also made additional accusations of sexual assault. Following the woman’s accusation, an FIR under the Section 376 (rape) of the IPC was registered against Mukesh.
The actor claimed that the charges were the result of his refusal to succumb to blackmail attempts by the complainant.
Rejecting the anticipatory bail plea of Siddique, the high court said that in view of the seriousness of the accusations he was facing, his custodial interrogation was inevitable for proper investigation of the crime. Justice CS Dias said that since Siddique’s defence was “a total denial of the incident”, his potency test was yet to be conducted and there being a “reasonable apprehension” that he may intimidate witnesses and tamper with evidence, “it was not a fit case to exercise the discretionary powers of the court” to grant him the relief.
“... on overall scrutiny of the facts, the law on the point, and my reasoning given above, and on comprehending the nature, gravity and seriousness of the accusations alleged against the petitioner (Sidhique), coupled with the materials placed on record that prima facie shows the petitioner’s involvement in the crime.”