[BREAKING] Disturbing material against Dileep, says Kerala High Court; grants interim protection from arrest

The Kerala High Court on Saturday granted interim protection from arrest to Malayalam cine actor Dileep till January 27 in a case registered against him by the Kerala Police, in which he has been booked for conspiring to kill police officers who were investigating a sexual assault case against him [P Gopalakrishnan alias Dileep & Ors. v State of Kerala & Ors.].

. The Court directed that Dileep and other accused have to submit themselves before Crime Branch Ernakulam at 9 am on January 23, 24 and 25 and should make themselves available for interrogation from 9 am to 8 pm. The accused should fully co-operate with the probe, the Court added.

"Dileep and the other accused shall not be arrested till January 27," the order said.

Pertinently, Justice Gopinath P said that the prosecution has shown some "disturbing material" which could point towards the investigation being influenced by the 54-year-old actor.

"There is some material that prosecution has shown me, I cannot reveal, but it shows that there is a possibility of investigation being influenced. I am repeating again, there is something that the prosecution has shown me which is disturbing to say the least," the Court said.

The Court also said that the allegations against the accused are serious and the investigation has to be protected and conspiracy to commit a crime is itself an offence.

"The allegations is that accused was heard conspiring to kill police officers which is a very serious allegation and the mighty state is absolutely entitled to investigate the same," the judge said.

Conspiracy by itself is a crime and the Police are entitled to investigate it, the Court added.

The Court, therefore stated while granting bail,

"Please tell your clients that I am very very serious and that any violation will be dealt with seriously. Don't attempt anything unnecessary, don't even think about it."

Dileep and four others have been booked by the Kerala Police for conspiring to kill police officers who were investigating a sexual assault case against him.

Justice Gopinath P heard the anticipatory bail pleas of all the accused in physical court on Saturday.

. Dileep and his associates are already being tried for allegedly taking revenge on a female actor in the Malayalam film industry by having her abducted, sexually assaulted and photographed in a moving vehicle.

On January 3, the Investigating Officer in the case informed the CBI Special Court that further investigation would be necessary after statements from a film director Balachandra Kumar revealed that he had heard Dileep's statements that indicated his intention to take revenge on the police officers investigating the case.

Subsequently, the Crime Branch of the Kerala Police registered a new FIR against Dileep and five others for allegedly threatening the investigation officials.

Dileep, his brother P Sivakumar and brother-in-law TN Suraj have been charged for offences punishable under Sections 116 (offering bribe to public servant), 118 (concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

They then approached the Kerala High Court through through advocates Philip T Varghese, Thomas T Varghese, Achu Shubha Abraham, Litha VT, Monisha KR and Nitya R seeking anticipatory bail.

. Dileep has also approached the Kerala High Court with a separate plea seeking to restrain the media from reporting on the trial of the case till the final verdict is pronounced.

. Read more about the history of the assault case and the plea for anticipatory bail here .

[BREAKING] Disturbing material against Dileep, says Kerala High Court; grants interim protection from arrest

Giti Pratap

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