Revathy Sampath calls Siddique 'a criminal', alleges Malayalam cinema lacks support system for survivors

Malayalam actress Revathy Sampath has made serious allegations of sexual assault against seasoned actor Siddique. She revealed that she received no support from the institutions she approached and was left to fend for herself. She alleged that Siddique destroyed her career ambitions, and she survived the darkest days of her life only with the support of her parents.

"I tried to seek legal remedy, but in vain. Here, there is no system to support survivors. I didn't have enough mental strength to continue my efforts to seek justice. I gave up and focused on my career," she told the media.

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Revathy initially made her allegations against Siddique in 2019. According to her, the alleged encounter with Siddique happened in 2016. Even after coming forward with her story, she claimed that she found no support from anyone in the industry or the government.

"Whenever I approached the police with a sexual assault complaint, I faced another kind of rape from the officials. Some of them asked me to quit the industry. Even women in the Women's Commission were not supportive," Revathy told OnManorama.

Revathy also dismissed Siddique's resignation from the post of General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), describing it as an effort to garner sympathy. "He's an attacker and criminal. Should be banned from the film industry," she added. 

On Sunday, she revealed that she does not intend to file a formal complaint against Siddique yet. She noted that she will only seek legal action if the government assures her of protection from any and all forms of retaliation.

Siddique has denied the allegations made by Revathy and expressed his unwillingness to comment further on Sunday. Earlier, he faced criticism for not taking a decisive stand on the findings revealed by the Hema Committee report or assuring proper action to make the industry safer for women.

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