A top-level assembly on the State Crime Department (CB) headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday (September 24, 2024) reportedly weighed the prosecutorial choices earlier than investigators after the Kerala High Court rejected actor Siddique’s anticipatory bail plea within the case referring to the alleged rape of an aspiring actor at a resort in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016.
To this point, the police have reportedly not restricted Mr. Siddique’s actions or issued a wanted-person discover in opposition to him.
Regardless of feverish standard media and social media speculations, there was no official phrase about an ongoing Statewide operation for the actor’s custody.
A senior official mentioned that “speedy arrest was not known as for on the identical” on the present juncture. He mentioned issuing a discover to the actor was a “chance.” The DYSP, District Crime Department, Thiruvananthapuram, is the investigating officer within the case.
The company additionally reportedly examined whether or not Mr. Siddique’s fast arrest would render the actor’s transfer to acquire anticipatory bail from the Supreme Courtroom infructuous, thus exposing the police to accusations of overhastiness and zealousness in pursuing the suspect.
In the meantime, the police and the media have established a presence in entrance of Mr. Siddique’s two homes in Ernakulam district. Tv channels additionally made a beeline for a resort at Nedumbassery following unconfirmed experiences that Mr. Siddique had checked in there.
A staff from the Museum police station in Thiruvananthapuram was reported en path to Kochi. Nonetheless, the staff’s mission remained unclear for now.
Based on officers, the assembly chaired by Further Director Basic of Police, Crime Department, H. Venkatesh, reportedly contemplated issuing a discover to Mr. Siddique to look earlier than the investigating officer within the case.
By some accounts, the Crime Department seemed to be dealing with a authorized dilemma.
The Excessive Courtroom’s commentary that Mr. Siddique’s custodial interrogation was important for investigation has seemingly restricted the company’s authorized choices.
Moreover, the courtroom didn’t rule out the likelihood that the actor may try and sway crucial witnesses within the case.
Govt underneath strain to take motion
The Kerala authorities appeared underneath strain to take demonstrative motion in Mr. Siddique’s case after the Excessive Courtroom harassed the necessity for the actor’s custodial interrogation and medical examination, given the grave nature of the case.
The Excessive Courtroom had wrongfooted the federal government for a second time for sustaining a “mysterious sphinx-like silence” for 5 years on the 2019 Okay. Hema Committee report that documented pervasive sexual exploitation and abuse within the Malayalam film trade. The courtroom mentioned the report wouldn’t have seen the sunshine of the day if it had not intervened.
A senior police official portrayed the Excessive Courtroom’s rejection of Mr. Siddique’s anticipatory bail plea as a testomony to the company’s “skilled and extraneous influence-free” investigation within the rape case.
The company appeared to have constructed proof within the practically eight years behind-the-time case by getting a repair on dates, places and information, together with resort information and statements of witnesses aware of the outpourings of the survivor within the alleged rape’s aftermath, to construct a timeline and circumstantial proof for efficient prosecution.
The police had additionally recorded the statements of a minimum of two psychiatrists who handled the survivor. They reportedly testified to the sufferer’s alleged trauma within the months and years after the suspected offence.
The Crime Department reckoned that it had affordable proof to legally confront Mr. Siddique.
Revealed – September 24, 2024 04:43 pm IST