Malayalam actress molestation case: Prime accused Sunil Kumar surrenders before court

New Delhi: The horrific and incident of a Malayalam actress was kidnapped and alleged molested in her own car left everyone in a state of shock and dismay. After remaining at large for more than a week, the prime accused in the case Sunil Kumar has surrendered before the court, reportedly.

According to PTI, the police has confirmed that the prime accused Sunil aka Pulsar Suni has surrendered in a local court in Ernakulam. Pulsar happens to be the former driver of the actress. 

The Court premises witnessed high drama as the police forcefully took the duo into custody from the court complex. "We have taken them into custody. We had deployed our men in the city. They managed to get them," Inspector General of Ernakulam Range, P Vijayan told PTI.

Visuals aired by news channels showed the duo being forcefully taken into custody by police as they entered the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate court located in the court complex to surrender at around 1.10 PM at lunch break.

The duo managed to give a slip to the police and entered the court complex wearing helmets. Suni, who reached near the court premises along with Vigeesh allegedly on a 'pulsar' bike, entered the court complex dressed as a lawyer.

When the advocates who recognised them alerted the police the duo allegedly entered the court hall. Their lawyers charged the police with forcefully taking their clients into custody from the courtroom itself. The lawyers also made a vain bid to prevent police from taking them into custody.

The duo was later taken to Aluva police club for questioning. Charging the police with forcefully taking their clients into custody from the courtroom itself during lunch break, the lawyers, later, petitioned the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate.

The Court rejected the petition seeking to produce the accused back to the ACJM court itself, observing that no such crime is pending before the Court. 

"Since no crime is pending against them before this court a direction to produce back them is unnecessary," the Court ruled and directed the Sub-Inspector, Central Police station, Kochi, to hand over the accused to investigating officer probing the case.

The ACJM court also ordered to produce them before the court having jurisdiction. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan praised the police for taking into custody the prime accused.

Vijayan, whose government had been facing flak over the delay in nabbing the accused, said "I congratulate the police. It is a commendable achievement." Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala criticised the manner in which the accused were taken into custody from the courtroom.

"There has been lapse on the part of police and this should not happen in further investigation of the case," the Congress leader, who was Home Minister in the previous Oommen Chandy government, said.

Police had earlier arrested four accused in connection with the case. Kerala DGP Loknath Behera said the police will seek their remand for detailed interrogation. The entire incident will be unfolded only after a detailed interrogation, he said. "Investigation is not like a magic wand," Behera said, responding to allegations of delay in arresting the accused.

"It is a mind game. During the play of this mind game, sometimes accused could be arrested very soon, sometimes it will get late. We made sincere efforts and we have got them," he told reporters in New Delhi. 

Earlier, Culture Minister A K Balan in Kozhikode was quoted as saying, “All accused involved in the incident will be smoked out from their hideouts. The probe will not be narrowed down only to a 'quotation gang' (hired criminals) allegedly involved in executing the crime.”

Balan, who also holds the films portfolio, said that all issues, including criminal conspiracy alleged by the actress in her statement, would be investigated thoroughly.

The forensic experts collected evidence from the car in which the actress was allegedly harassed by the gang members. Police earlier maintained that so far three persons--Vadival Salim, Pradeep and Martin--have been arrested in connection with the case. All three have been remanded in judicial custody by a magistrate court in Aluva, they said.

The actress was allegedly harassed inside her car for two hours by the accused, who had forced their way into the vehicle and later escaped in a busy area in Kochi.

(With PTI inputs)