E-Paper
Kerala court rejects Dileep’s discharge plea in abduction and assault case
The special court asked him to be present on January 6 when it frames charges against him and nine other accused in the case.
A trial court in Kochi on Saturday rejected Malayalam actor Dileep’s plea to discharge him from the case relating to the alleged abduction and sexual assault of a woman actor three years ago that sent shockwaves across the state.
The special court also turned down his plea to grant ten days to file an appeal in a higher court in view of the Supreme Court directive to complete the trial in six months. The court also directed Dileep and other accused to be present in the court on January 6 when it frames charges against them.
Earlier Dileep had examined the visual evidence of the alleged assault in the trial court room and claimed there was no evidence to prosecute him in the case. The court is hearing the case in-camera. The survivor and the state government had earlier alleged that he was filing unnecessary pleas in different courts to delay the trial.
In November last year, the Supreme Court had directed the special court, headed by a woman judge, to complete the trial in six months. The Kerala High Court had also rejected Dileep’s plea last year for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
There are 10 accused in the case and Dileep was arraigned as the eighth. The 31-year-old woman actor who was returning after a shooting assignment was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving car by a criminal gang on February 17, 2017. They filmed the assault and let her go after three-hour ordeal with a threat to release video if she approached the police.
During the attack the main accused Pulsar Suni had told the survivor that he was paid for it. Undeterred by the threats, the woman complained to the police who arrested all accused who were directly involved in the crime. Suni has been in jail since his arrest.
Dileep was arrested six months later after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probed allegations that the crime was commissioned by someone. Dlieep spent three months in jail before he got bail.
