The Supreme Court granted interim protection from arrest to Malayalam film actor Siddique in a rape case on Monday. The court directed him to cooperate in the investigation and issued notices to the Kerala government and the victim, seeking their replies within two weeks. The plea filed by Siddique challenging a Kerala High Court order denying him anticipatory bail was being heard by a bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma. The bench stated that if Siddique is arrested in connection with a specific crime, he shall be released on bail with conditions imposed by the trial court. The court questioned the delay in registering the complaint against Siddique, with the lawyer representing the victim referring to the Justice Hema Committee report highlighting harassment in the Malayalam film industry. Siddique's lawyer highlighted that a complaint was filed in 2024, eight years after the alleged incident. The court further discussed the delay in filing the complaint and questioned the reasons for the delay.Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Kerala state government, objected to the approval of anticipatory bail. The High Court, on September 24, dismissed Siddique's plea for anticipatory bail in a rape case, stating that his custody is essential for a thorough investigation due to the gravity of the allegations. Additionally, Read: Top Malayalam Movies of 2024 and Latest Releases.