Actor 'Edavela' Babu held, released on bail for sexual assault; weird food habits prove costly for Siddique

According to the complaint, the actress alleged that Babu had called her to discuss her application for membership in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).

Thiruvananthapuram: Actor and former general secretary of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) Babu alias 'Edavela' Babu was arrested by the police in a sexual assault case on Wednesday.

On Tuesday actor-politician and CPM MLA M Mukesh was arrested, while actor Siddique is still absconding after the Kerala High Court denied bail to him. The sexual allegations against the actors came up after the Justice Hema committee report on sexual exploitations and discriminations in the film industry came out.

Babu was arrested after detailed interrogation by the special investigation. Since he had obtained anticipatory bail he was released on bail.

Babu allegedly sexually assaulted a woman actor who approached him seeking membership in AMMA.

Weird food habits proved costly for Siddique

The weird food habits of Siddique was learnt to have become crucial evidence against him in the 2016 sexual assault allegation.

The victim had said in her statement to the special investigation team that after sexually assaulting her in a hotel room in Thiruvananthapuram on January 28, Siddique consumed fish and curd, which are considered as contradicting food combinations, and he also stated that he loved to have such combinations.

The special investigation team was learnt to have recovered hotel bills that confirmed that Siddique ordered those food items on that day.

The victim's statements that the hotel's swimming pool could be seen from the said room's window also became corroborative evidence, apart from her treatment records for the mental trauma she had suffered following the assault.

Meanwhile, Siddique was approaching the Supreme Court against the Kerala HC decision rejecting anticipatory bail. The Kerala police is coming under criticism for failure in nabbing Siddique. It was learnt that Siddique was in Kochi till Tuesday morning and he absconded soon after the HC denied anticipatory bail.