Actor Dileep moves Kerala HC against further probe in actress assault case

KOCHI: Actor Dileep on Thursday moved a fresh plea in the Kerala High Court opposing further investigation being carried out by the police in the sexual assault case of an actress, alleging that it was a 'wilful attempt' to protract the trial in the matter. The actor, in his plea filed through advocate Philip T Varghese, has contended that further investigation in the case was not permissible as 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 alleges 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 claims.

It seeks quashing of the report, filed by the police in the trial court, allegedly containing the statement of filmmaker Balachandra Kumar and further proceedings pursuant to the same. Kumar had recently made some startling revelations against Dileep in the actress assault case through the media.

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 was arrested subsequently and released on bail.

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