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Actor Vijay Babu moves Kerala HC seeking pre-arrest bail in sexual assault case
In his anticipatory bail application, Babu said the woman actor who had lodged a complaint against him was trying to blackmail him.
Vijay Babu, the Malayalam actor-cum-producer booked in a sexual assault case, moved the Kerala high court on Friday seeking anticipatory bail. The court is likely to consider his bail petition later in the day.
In his application, Babu said the woman actor who had lodged a complaint against him was trying to blackmail him.
Earlier this week, Ernakulam South Police registered a case against Babu for sexual assault on the actor's complaint. Police said a second case was registered against Babu for revealing the identity of the survivor on social media.
The woman actor accusing Babu of sexually abusing her on multiple ocassions by promising good roles in films and forcing her to take narcotic substances. She further said the producer, who was also the founder of the production company Friday Film House, had threatened to release her intimate photos and videos, police said.
Officers were expecting Babu, who was reportedly absconding, to return from Dubai and surrender before police.
"We had begun the searches regarding this case. There are still a few places to search. Witness identification and their examination are pending. We are expecting him to surrender before the law. We also took his passport details and travel details," CH Nagaraju, Kochi City police commissioner was quoted as saying by the news agency.
"The identification of more witnesses began yesterday. Apart from this, we have already requested the court to impound his passport if he is not coming forward. He has to cooperate with the investigation. We have served notice at his house also to come forward. No other complaints were received against him."
The senior officer further said police had retrieved CCTV footage from various locations.
(With inputs from agencies)
