Kerala sexual assault case: Supreme Court rejects govt’s plea seeking extension of trial

On Monday, the Supreme Court refused the Kerala government’s plea seeking an extension of the deadline for completing the trial in the actor abduction and sexual assault case against Malayalam actor Dileep. A Bench of Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice CT Ravikumar said that the Court will extend the deadline if the trial judge seeks it. "We are not delving into the nature of objections. We dispose of this application, and we leave it to the discretion of the trial court to take an appropriate view in this matter," the Court said.

The present deadline to end the trial is February 16. Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta appeared for the State of Kerala, seeking an extension of six more months. The government's move came after the allegations by film director Balachandra Kumar in connection with the case. In the plea, the State said that the investigating officers need to probe it further.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Dileep, opposed the State's plea claiming that the State was attempting to delay the trial. The lawyer said in the Court that after 202 witnesses are examined, one man surfaces five years later and says he has something to say. If he has something to say, then let him be examined. He added that the time has already been extended four times, and now the State is playing a 'mischievous game' and conducting a ‘media trial’ against the accused.

Kerala HC restrains police from arresting Malayalam actor Dileep

On January 22, The Kerala High Court restrained the police from arresting Malayalam superstar Dileep till January 27 in a case related to the abduction and assault of a female actor. In January, legal troubles mounted for Dileep after he was accused of threatening officials investigating the 2017 assault case. The Bench has directed the accused to report before the investigation officer on January 23, 24 and 25. The Court has also said that the accused shall be available for interrogation and any other such probe when necessary. The next hearing has been scheduled for January 27.

As per the directions given by Kerala High Court, actor Dileep and others appeared before the Crime Branch office on Sunday and were interrogated for 11 hours. The second day of interrogation is also going on.

Kerala actor abduction and assault case

A popular actor was abducted and allegedly molested inside her car for two hours by four men, who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017, and later escaped in a busy area. The entire act was filmed by some of the accused to blackmail the actress. Reports claim that Dileep had allegedly paid men to abduct and assault the actor and even ordered them to take videos of the assault to exact revenge on her. Dileep was arrested in July 2017 and released two months later on bail.

Image: PTI/ANI/Representative Image