Interrogation of actor Dileep ends, crime branch will report on Thursday

A three-day-long interrogation in a case registered against actor Dileep and others for allegedly threatening officials probing the sexual assault of an actress in 2017 concluded at the Crime Branch office here on Tuesday. The actor and four others – his brother, brother-in-law, driver and a friend, appeared before crime branch officials at 9 am and were questioned for 11 hours on the directions of the Kerala High Court.

Earlier in the day, ADGP S Sreejit met the media and said that the inquiry was based on the results of scientific analysis of the evidence collected.

The Crime Branch has summoned several witnesses over the past three days, with the latest being Dileep’s friend Vyas Edavankad. Crime Branch sources said that Edavankad was summoned on the basis of the actor’s telephone records.

After recording his statement with the Crime Branch, Edavankad told the media that he was called to identify the voices in the sound clip.

The agency had registered the case on January 9 on a complaint filed by an investigating officer on the basis of an purported audio clip of Dileep, released by a TV channel in which the actor was heard allegedly plotting to attack the officer. went.

The actor and others were questioned for 33 hours in the last three days and the time allowed by the Kerala High Court ended at 8 pm on Tuesday. The Crime Branch will present its report on the interrogation before the High Court on January 27, based on which an order on the anticipatory bail plea of ​​the actor and others is expected.

The High Court on Saturday, while considering the anticipatory bail plea, granted interim protection from arrest to Dileep but directed him and others to appear for questioning before the investigating authorities on January 23, 24 and 25.

The accused were interrogated for 11-11 hours in all three days. On Monday, the authorities had summoned director/screenwriter Rafi to seek clarification in certain matters.

Crime Branch SP Mohanchandran had said that Rafi was called upon to recognize the voice in the sound clip handed over by director Balachandra Kumar, who made shocking remarks against the actor and others.

The agency had constituted five separate teams to interrogate the accused and record statements and sources had said that they were close to making one of the accused in the case a government witness.

Crime Branch sources had earlier said that the interrogation of the accused would be recorded as they suspect that the actor and others may approach the court alleging harassment during interrogation.

Justice Gopinath P had directed the accused to fully cooperate in the investigation and directed them to be available for questioning on three days from 9 am to 8 pm.

The court had also warned the accused that in case of non-cooperation, the interim protection from arrest would be withdrawn and the crime branch would be remanded in custody.

Besides Dileep, his younger brother P Shivakumar and brother-in-law TN Suraj, driver Appu and a friend Baiju Chengmanadu were asked to present themselves for questioning.

The actor and five others were booked under various provisions of the IPC, including sections 116 (kidnapping), 118 (concealment of design to commit offence), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 ( criminal acts). People).

Dileep has claimed that this apprehension arose out of the past conduct of the complainant officer, who is trying to falsely implicate him in the sexual harassment case.

The actress, who has worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, was abducted and allegedly molested for two hours in her car by some of the accused, who forcibly entered the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017 and later I had fled. busy area. Some of the accused filmed the entire acting to blackmail the actress.

There are 10 accused in this case and initially seven people were arrested by the police. Dileep was later arrested and later released on bail.