Kerala High Court directs Dileep's mobile phones to be transferred to Magistrate

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday ordered that the mobile phones of Malayalam cine actor Dileep, accused in a case of alleged conspiracy to kill police officers, be transferred to the Judicial First Class Magistrate at Aluva [P Gopalakrishnan alias Dileep & Ors. v State of Kerala & Ors.]..The mobile phones are currently in the custody of Registrar General of the High Court after the actor had deposited the same with the High Court pursuant to the Court's direction last week. "Pursuant to order dated January 29, 2022, 6 mobile phones were produced before the Registrar General of this court. Today the Investigation Officer has verified that phones produced before this court are phones mentioned as no.2-6...The phones 2-6 shall be transferred forthwith to the court of the Judicial First Class Magistrate , Aluva. The counsel for the petitioners also undertakes unlocking codes/patterns shall be provided to the Court if necessary," the order passed today said.The order came to be passed on an application by the prosecution seeking possession of 7 mobile phones which were alleged to have been used by the accused but discarded after the FIR had been registered.Interestingly, the Court during the hearing also said that there is an impression that the accused is being given a long rope in the matter."No, already there is an impression that this accused is getting special protection from the court that no other accused gets," single-judge Justice P Gopinath remarked.Dileep and four others have been booked by the Crime Branch of the Kerala Police for allegedly conspiring to kill police officers who are investigating a 2017 actress sexual assault case against him..Senior Advocate B Raman Pillai, appearing for Dileep had yesterday expressed his dissatisfaction and suspicions regarding the investigation conducted so far and said that Dileep would be moving the Court with a fresh petition seeking a CBI investigation..Dileep and his associates are already being tried for allegedly planning and executing a revenge crime against a female actor in the Malayalam film industry by having her abducted, sexually assaulted and photographed nude in a moving vehicle.The case took a new turn when director Balachandra Kumar made some explosive statements regarding Dileep's close association with the prime accused in the assault case and alleged that there was a conspiracy to kill the police officers investigating the sexual assault case.The Crime Brach then registered a fresh first information report (FIR) against Dileep and five others 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.The accused 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 sexual assault case till the final verdict is pronounced.Read more about the history of the assault case and the plea for anticipatory bail here..[Read Order]