Kerala actress abduction: HC rejects bail plea, actor Dileep to stay in jail

Kochi: The High Court on Monday rejected the bail plea of actor Malayalam actor Dileep, arrested for conspiracy in the abduction and molestation of a renowned actress.

The actor has already served 10 days in jail and had approached the High Court after the Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate court had rejected his bail plea.

The lower court had rejected the argument of the actor's counsel that there was no material evidence to implicate him and that the whole case against him was built on the basis of statement of main accused and "criminal" Sunil Kumar aka Pulsar Suni.

The prosecution opposed the bail plea strongly saying that the investigation is progressing in the right direction and that allowing him bail at this crucial juncture would affect further evidence collection, including the original phone and memory card used to record the assault of the female actor on February 17 last.

However, the SIT sources said the cops wanted to interrogate the actor again after arresting his manager Sunil Raj aka Appunni, who is currently in hiding.

According to them, Appunni "knows too much" and their joint interrogation would bring out the conspiracy part.

Sources said the actor's non-cooperation was not helping the case so far and the cops plan to question him with more evidence and along with his personal side.
The police also fear that upon granting bail, the actor could influence witnesses and also tamper with the evidence.

On February 17, the actress was abducted and molested by unidentified men when she was returning home from a shoot in Ernakulam district in Kerala.

The incident took place when the men stopped and hijacked her car near Athani in Angamaly. The actress was molested in a moving car till they reached Palarivattom, which is roughly 25 kms away. The accused men got down at Palarivattom and fled in another car.

The gang also took video and photos of the actress while threatening her of dire consequences inside the running car. The police have registered a case of kidnapping and molestation.

Last month, Dileep was questioned for close to 13 hours after the claimed that he and his director friend Nadirshah were being blackmailed for 1.5 crore by the kidnappers that incuded Pulsar Suni, the main accused. On several occasions, Suni was reportedly spotted on the sets of Dileep’s films and the duo has reportedly known each other for years. Last week, Pulsar Suni told reporters, “A big shark will fall,” after his second jail sentence.

Police were reportedly informed that Suni was paid to attack the actress. Kerela police have also raided a boutique—Lakshya—owned by Dileep’s wife in search of criucial evidence after the main accused took the actor’s name in his confession.