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Kochi doctor's phone reveals sexual abuse of several women after he alleges assault by Malayalam actors
The defence counsel, however, claimed that the doctor was booked in a rape case and had levelled false allegations against the accused.
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A Kochi-based doctor who had earlier alleged that he was abducted and assaulted by Malayalam actors Athulya Chandran and Bibin Perumpally is now suspected of having sexually assaulted several women, police said on Saturday.
The doctor, identified as Dr Johnson Varghese, is booked in a rape case and has been absconding since the case was registered on Friday. Police said an examination of his two mobile phones revealed videos and photographs of intimate moments involving several women, according to news agency PTI.
Kochi City police have decided to issue a lookout circular against the 41-year-old doctor, according to a report by The Hindu.
The phone was handed over to the police by the complainant, a 50-year-old woman, the report added.
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Doctor's phones reveal videos, photographs involving several women
The case was registered at the Infopark police station following a complaint by a woman who is a relative of Chandran, officials said.
According to the police, the complainant alleged that Varghese had sexually assaulted her and recorded the incident on his mobile phone. She further alleged that Chandran and Perumpally had lured the doctor to an apartment to get the videos deleted from his phone.
Police said they would conduct further investigations based on the digital evidence recovered from the doctor's phones. More cases may be registered if the women appearing in the photographs and videos approach the police with complaints, officials added.
The development comes days after police arrested Chandran, Perumpally and their friend Vishnu following a complaint lodged by Varghese.
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Doctor's complaint
According to the doctor's complaint, he was called to a flat at Essen Springdale Apartments in Vyttila on November 2 on the pretext that the aunt of one of the accused was unwell. However, on reaching the apartment, he found around 12 people, including the actors, present there.
The group allegedly assaulted him and stole his two mobile phones, smartwatch and earphones, collectively valued at around ₹3.25 lakh, the FIR stated.
The 41-year-old doctor alleged that the group accused him of drugging and raping the aunt of one of the accused and assaulted him several times.
Meanwhile, the Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Saturday dismissed the bail petitions filed by the three arrested persons, including the two actors. Chandran and Perumpally have acted in several Malayalam films.
Opposing their bail pleas, the public prosecutor told the court that the investigation was at a very early stage and that the accused needed to be interrogated in custody.
The prosecution also submitted that eight more people had been apprehended and that crucial evidence was yet to be collected. It argued that releasing the arrested persons could affect the investigation.
The defence counsel, however, claimed that the doctor was booked in a rape case and had levelled false allegations against the accused.
Considering that the investigation had only just begun, the magistrate dismissed the bail petitions.
Chandran, Perumpally and Vishnu are likely to approach the District Sessions Court soon to seek bail, officials said.
