Thiruvananthapuram, 30 Sept

The Supreme Court verdict granting interim protection from arrest to Malayalam actor Sidhique in a rape case on Monday triggered sharp reactions from women leaders in Kerala, with state Higher Education Minister R Bindhu saying that delay in lodging complaint could not be a reason for denying justice to the victim.

The minister said the apex court has the responsibility to stand up for the women in cases like rape.

She said the interim protection has no relevance if there is evidence against the accused.

Delay in registering the complaint could not be a reason for denying justice to the victim, she told reporters, reacting to the SC decision.

Bindhu, however, rejected criticism against the alleged failure of the police in nabbing the actor, who has been absconding since the Kerala High Court had rejected his bail plea.

The police could not catch him as the actor went into hiding, and investigators have been carrying out intense searches, she said adding the interim protection is not forever.

Senior CPI (M) leader K K Shailaja also said the verdict granting interim protection from the arrest to the actor by the apex court is not against the state government.

No one can predict a court ruling, and the police have done nothing to protect the accused actor, she said.

If the government's stand was to protect Sidhique, it would not have opposed his bail plea in the court, the leader added.

Shailaja also said the state government should be lauded for setting up the Justice Hema Committee to expose the issues in the film sector.

A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma issued notice to the Kerala government and the victim in the case during the hearing of a plea by Sidhique challenging a Kerala High Court order which denied him anticipatory bail.

On September 24, the Kerala HC had rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Siddique in the rape case, saying in view of the seriousness of the accusations he was facing, his custodial interrogation was inevitable for proper investigation of the crime.

Multiple FIRs have been registered against many high-profile Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment against them in the wake of revelations made in the Justice K Hema Committee report. -PTI