Malayalam film star Dileep seeks CBI probe into sexual assault allegations against him

Popular Malayalam film star P Gopalakrishnan aka Dileep has approached the Kerala High Court seeking an impartial investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into a crime in which he is allegedly a conspirator..The crime in question pertains to the sexual assault of a female colleague by a group of individuals. Dileep was arrested in July 2017, and charged under various offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including kidnapping (Section 366), criminal conspiracy (Section 120-B), and gangrape (Section 376 D)..In the petition filed before the High Court, Dileep alleges that the investigation carried out by the state police was biased and vitiated, and hence could not result in a valid charge sheet arising out of it..It has also been contended that the case against him is almost completely made up on the basis of statements made to the police by a number of co-accused in the case, and that all these statements were orchestrated by certain influential individuals, who wielded clout with the media and the state..The petition, filed through advocate Philip T Varghese, also emphasises that Dileep came to know that certain calls were being made to people close to him, by some of the co-accused who were lodged in jail, threatening to implicate him in the crime, and that he had immediately contacted the police in this regard..It has also been alleged that the state police chief is personally involved in the suppression of material facts. The original video recording of the crime allegedly captured on the mobile phone of one of the accused, which would Dileep an opportunity to clear his name, has deliberately not been obtained, the petition states..It is also argued that a copy of the recording submitted to the Court on a thumb drive is, in all probability doctored..Based on these grounds and others, it has been prayed that the records of the crime be transferred from the Nedumbassery police station to the CBI, for a fair and impartial investigation to be conducted. The case is currently pending in the Sessions Court at Ernakulam..Dileep faced allegations of hatching a conspiracy to abduct the victim and to take nude photographs of her. Six persons were nabbed and arrayed as accused after the victim, a female actor, was driven around in a car and sexually assaulted, allegedly at Dileep’s behest..Dileep was then arrested on July 10, charged with engaging the first accused to take nude photos of the victim, in exchange for Rs. 1.5 crore. His first two attempts at getting bail were rejected by the Kerala High Court on July 24 and August 29..The actor was finally granted conditional bail in October 2017 by Justice Sunil Thomas, who granted the same on the condition that he deposits a security of Rs. 1 lakh. Further, he was directed to submit his passport to the Court, and to undertake not to influence the investigation of the case.