The Kerala High Court on Saturday granted actor Dileep interim protection from arrest till January 27 in connection with a case against him for allegedly conspiring to kill an investigating officer in a 2017 sexual assault case, Bar and Bench reported.
On January 9, Kerala Police’s Crime Branch had registered a first information report against Dileep based on a purported audio clip in which he is heard asking some persons to “wait to see how the five investigating officers are going to suffer”.
The police have alleged that Dileep was the mastermind behind the abduction and sexual assault of a female actor. The actor was allegedly sexually abused inside her car for two hours on February 17, 2017. The accused persons had reportedly filmed the assault to blackmail the woman.
On Saturday, Justice Gopinath P said that the prosecution has shown some “disturbing material” which showed that there was a chance of the actor meddling with the inquiry, Bar and Bench reported.
“There is some material that prosecution has shown me, I cannot reveal, but it shows that there is a possibility of investigation being influenced,” Gopinath said. “I am repeating again, there is something that the prosecution has shown me which is disturbing to say the least.”
The court also said that any attempt to unsettle the interrogation would result in declining of the bail as the allegations against the actor were serious, Live Law reported.
“The allegation is that the accused was overheard conspiring to kill police officers, which is a very serious allegation and the mighty State is absolutely entitled to investigate the same,” the court said.
The matter will now be heard on Tuesday.
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