Kerala actress abduction case: Actor Dileep's bail plea rejected

The Angamaly (Kochi) judicial magistrate court on Saturday turned down Malayalam superstar Dileep's bail plea and remanded him in judicial custody till July 25.

Dileep was arrested last week in connection with the abduction and rape of a popular actress four months ago. He is the eleventh accused in the case.

The public prosecutor opposed the superstar's bail application, stating that he could use his clout to influence witnesses and weaken the ongoing investigation. The prosecution also referred to an ongoing pro-Dileep social media campaign to secure his release.

However, the embattled actor's counsel - Ram Kumar - claimed the actor has been falsely implicated in the case and the investigation team was "busy fabricating evidence against him". He also submitted two mobile phones used by



the actor for further tests.

Dileep was later taken to the Aluva sub-jail. He is expected to move the high court on Monday.

The 31-year-old actress was returning from a film shoot when she was abducted by a gang of criminals and sexually assaulted in a moving car over a period of three hours on February 17. The assailants recorded the assault on their mobile phones and threatened to release the clip if she dared approach the police. During the attack, the main accused - Pulsar Suni - reportedly hinted that they were committing the crime at somebody else's behest.

After the actress lodged a complaint, police arrested all the accused directly involved in the crime. An investigation aimed at identifying the conspirators behind the attack finally led to Dileep's arrest last week.