Kochi, Sep 24 (IANS): Malayalam actor Siddique went missing after the Kerala High Court on Tuesday refused to grant anticipatory bail to him in a rape case filed against him by an actress.

A Kerala Police team probing the case came searching for the actor at his two residences here but failed to find him. The two mobile numbers that the star uses were also found to be switched off.

A lookout notice has also been issued to all points of exit in the country, especially airports.

The actor was last spotted in public on Saturday when he was overseeing the arrangements for the last rites of veteran ‘screen’ mother Kaviyoor Ponnamma.

Reports indicate that he will be approaching the Supreme Court against the High Court’s decision.

A police case against Siddique was registered based on a complaint by an actress who accused him of raping her at the state-owned hotel in the state capital city in 2016.

The actress, who initially hesitated to file a police complaint, later emailed the state police chief alleging that Siddique raped her after she refused to give in to his demands for sexual favours in exchange for a role in a Tamil movie. When this revelation came, Siddique, who was recently elected as the General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) quit the post. Thereafter, the entire committee chaired by President Mohanlal also resigned.

Siddique had contended in court that this particular actress has been harassing him since 2019 by making repeated claims on social media that he tried to sexually misbehave with her at a theatre in 2016, and after the Justice Hema Committee report was published, she made a more serious allegation of rape at a different place in the same year.

Incidentally, the Special Investigation Team, probing the numerous incidents of women being exploited in the film industry following a surge of complaints after the explosive Hema Committee report, which was published last month brought out the pitiable condition of women in the Malayalam film industry, is also on tenterhooks as they have to give an action taken report before the High Court early next month. Hence the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government is also keen that Siddique is taken into custody.

Meanwhile, some CPI-M followers are rejoicing at Siddique's travails, noting that he is a Congress activist and was in the Congress-backed Kerala Students Union and an office bearer also when in college.

The Justice Hema Committee has unleashed a storm of trouble for the Malayalam film industry. Following its revelations, a few former actresses publicly revealed their bad experiences and the police were quick to act, registering 11 FIRs against various film personalities. Presently, those who are in the dock include actor-turned-CPI-M legislator Mukesh Madhavan, Nivin Pauly, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble.

Mukesh, Ranjith, Raju, Prakash and now Jayasurya have already got relief from the courts from being arrested. Siddique thus became the first actor who applied for anticipatory bail but failed to get it.