Kerala HC directs actor Dileep to appear for questioning

The court directed the prosecutor to place a report regarding the interrogation of the petitioners and any other materials that may be collected by the prosecution before the court on January 27.

The bench of Justice P Gopinath said, “The prosecution in a sealed cover handed over certain materials collected by the investigating agency which suggest that an in-depth investigation is required into the matter. It would not be appropriate for me to refer to or make any findings concerning those materials as that would be highly improper at this stage. I have referred to them only to emphasise that a thorough investigation is required into the matter.”

Earlier this month, the Crime Branch had registered a case against Dileep and five others, including his brother Anoop and brother-in-law Sooraj, alleging that they had planned to kill the officers who investigated the 2017 case of the abduction and sexual assault of an actor. An FIR in the alleged conspiracy case was registered based on information provided by Dileep’s estranged friend and film director Balachandrakumar, who has said that Dileep hatched the conspiracy on November 15, 2017. Dileep has said that the conspiracy case was fabricated.

According to the FIR, the conspiracy to target the police officers took place at Dileep’s house in Aluva in Ernakulam district a month after he was released on bail in the sexual assault case. Balachandrakumar, the FIR said, had directly witnessed the conspiracy being hatched.

The trial in the sexual assault case is in the final stage at a special court in Kochi.