Dileep moves Kerala HC against further probe in actress assault case

Actor Dileep on Thursday (February 3) moved a fresh plea in the Kerala High Court objecting to any further investigation by the police in the sexual assault case of a Kerala actress. He alleged that it was a “wilful attempt” to prolong the trial in the matter.

The actor, in his plea filed through advocate Philip T Varghese, has argued that further investigation should not be permitted since a final report had been filed in November 2017. Charges were framed in January 2020 and only one prosecution witness – one of the investigating officers – remained to be examined.

The petition alleged that under the guise of further investigation, “a series of vindictive acts” were being carried out by the police.

One instance of such acts was the allegedly false case foisted on the actor and other male members of his family accusing them of conspiring to murder police officers investigating the actress assault case, the petition pointed out.

Also read: Twists, turns, trials & gags: Is actor Dileep getting kid-glove treatment?

The petition sought quashing the report filed by the police in the trial court, allegedly containing the statement of filmmaker Balachandra Kumar and to stop any further proceedings related to it. Kumar had recently made some startling revelations against Dileep in the actress assault case.

He has also claimed that there is evidence including digital ones to prove that Dileep had influenced the witnesses.

The actor’s latest plea also seeks a declaration that a further probe being carried out in the case was “illegal” and a direction to the trial court to “eschew” the same from the record.
The actress-victim, who has worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, was abducted and allegedly molested in her car for two hours by some of the accused, who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017 and later escaped in a busy area.

The entire act was filmed by some of the accused to blackmail the actress. There are 10 accused in the case and police have arrested seven. Dileep, who is the eighth accused in the case, was arrested subsequently and released on bail.