KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday adjourned to February 2 (Wednesday), the hearing of the anticipatory bail plea filed by actor Dileep, an accused in a case for allegedly conspiring to murder police officers probing the 2017 actor abduction and sexual assault case.
Justice Gopinath P granted adjournment following the request of TA Shaji, Director General of Prosecution. The DGP submitted that the crime branch would require some more time to analyse and produce the digital evidence so far collected in the interrogation; the details of the investigation will be filed in a sealed cover before the court today.
Then Dileep's counsel sought to extend the interim order not to arrest Dileep till Wednesday. The prosecution did not object to it and the court extended the order till next Wednesday.
The High Court, while considering the anticipatory bail petition, on Saturday granted interim protection to Dileep from arrest but directed him and others to appear before the investigating officers on January 23, 24, and 25 for interrogation. The accused were questioned for 11 hours each on all three days.
Dileep not to produce phones
Meanwhile, the crime branch has issued a notice to Dileep under section 91 of CrPC directing him to produce mobile phones used by him. In his reply, Dileep stated that none of the phones directed to be produced are phones used by him in 2016 or 2017 in which period the allegations of commission of offence are alleged.
Already all the phones used by Dileep before his arrest on July 10, 2017, have been seized /produced before the Sessions Court and its contents, retrieved and extracted by Forensic examination. "Hence the phones which I am called upon to produce have no bearing on the investigation of Crime No. 6 of 2022 (New case based on the revelation of Director Balachandrakumar). Further one of the phones which you have directed me to produce is an instrument belonging to another which I had used for a few days and it has no relevance at all," the actor said.