Kochi: It’s like someone has decided that I should be the accused — Dileep’s line from the Ramaleela trailer that has been repeatedly run on TV and social media, bears resemblance to the real life story of the actor’s arrest for the actress abduction-assault case in Kochi. Debutant director Arun Gopy, two days ahead of the release, posts that line on his Facebook wall, and then a handwritten letter, excited to finally bring out the film.
That didn’t stun social media. What they didn’t expect is the support of the estranged wife and actor Manju Warrier, elsewhere on Facebook, asking people not to boycott the film because of personal dislike for one person. It comes at a time her film Udaharanam Sujatha, directed by another debutant Phantom Praveen, is releasing.
Same day — Thursday the 28th — across the state. Theatres have divided their screens to make space for both. A remake of Tamil film Amma Kanakku, Manju appears in a de-glam role in Udaharanam Sujatha, as a woman doing odd jobs to make ends meet. And Ramaleela is a political thriller with Dileep playing Ramanunni, an MLA. The film had been in news ever since the actor’s arrest, with many declaring to boycott the film.
Prosecution: Dileep offered Rs 3 crore for abuse
Actor Dileep arrested and imprisoned in connection with abduction and sexual assault of a female actor had offered '3-cr to the hired kidnappers to commit the crime, the prosecution told the Kerala High Court on Wednesday opposing the bail plea of the actor. The prosecution submitted that the 49-year old actor promised Rs 1.5 crore to Sunilkumar alias Pulsar Suni, the prime accused in the case for abduction and assault and offered to double the amount in case he was caught by the police in connection with case. The prosecution made the charges against Dileep based on depositions made by Vipinlal, the 10th accused in the case. The court has posted the case for the verdict on Tuesday.
Opposing the bail plea, the prosecution said, if granted bail, the actor will influence the witnesses and told the court that a person named Sudheer, the driver of Kavya Madhavan, wife of Dileep tried to influence one of the witnesses. The police collected evidence in this regard including Sudheer holding 41 phone conversations with the witness.
Counsel for Dileep argued that the prosecution has been repeating the same points again and his client should be granted bail.
