KOCHI:
The Kerala High Court adjourned to August 18 the hearing on a fresh bail plea of Malayalam actor Dileep, arrested in connection with a case of plotting the abduction and sexual assault of a South Indian actress in February.
Justice Sunil Thomas posted the matter for next Friday for hearing the version of the prosecution in the case.
The court had dismissed his earlier bail application on July 24 after finding that the probe into the case was progressing and the mobile phone, which the prosecution stated as a key evidence in the case, had not been recovered.
The actor in his fresh plea yesterday submitted that the scenario had completely changed and that he was not the kingpin of any criminal conspiracy or even a participant in it. The petitioner also contended that he was not the perpetrator of any criminal offence.
“He is only the unfortunate victim of an orchestrated media campaign and proceedings of a group of police officers acting on the pre-conceived notion of guilt of the petitioner and wanting to implicate him as an accused,” the petition had said.
He submitted that there was a “large-scale conspiracy” hatched by a small but powerful section of film industry and certain others who could manage police, media and political leaders to spread “utter falsehood and malicious stories” about him for months together.
It ultimately resulted in his being implicated and arraigned as accused in the case about three months after the submission of the final report against the accused in the actress abduction and molestation case, the actor submitted.
Dileep, charged under various sections of the IPC, including for hatching criminal conspiracy for abduction and assault of the actress in a moving car on February 17, is currently lodged in a jail in his home town Aluva.
Police have claimed that the conspiracy to abduct and assault the actress and film the act was hatched by Dileep.
He was arrested by the police on July 10. Angamaly court extended the remand of Dileep till August 22, when he was produced before the court through video conferencing due to security reasons. Earlier, when Dileep was produced before the Angamaly magistrate court, the police had a hard time to control the public. Police requested the court for video conferencing and it was accepted.
Earlier, the bail plea of Dileep was rejected by the High Court. The court said that there was prima facie evidence of the actors involvement in the case. The accused was a prominent actor and could influence the witnesses if left out on bail.
Dileep was arrested on July 10 for the kidnapping and sexual assault of an actress in February. He was arrested for his prima facie role in a conspiracy and to facilitate further investigation as well as evidence collections.
Dileep was questioned last month for over 12 hours after he claimed he and a director were being blackmailed for 1.5 crores by the kidnappers, including the actress’ driver Pulsar Suni, the main accused in the case.
Dileep was removed from ‘AMMA’, hours after he was arrested in connection with the abduction and sexual assault of an actress.
The executive committee of Malayalam actors’ guild Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) has taken the decision in this regard. The emergency meeting was held at the residence of actor Mammootty, who is also general secretary of AMMA.
The Kerala Film Producers Association and Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) have also suspended Dileep’s primary membership in their organisations.
