Kochi: After a round of heated arguments, the Kerala High Court on Monday posted for Tuesday its verdict on anticipatory bail plea of actor Dileep in a fresh case in which he is alleged to have conspired to do away with the investigating officers in the actress abduction case.
On Monday morning, Dileep, as directed by the court on Saturday, presented six mobile phones before the court.
The direction came on a Crime Branch plea, in the ongoing investigation in the new case.
On Saturday, the court had asked him to hand over the six mobiles, even as he sought time till Tuesday morning, saying that they have been sent to Mumbai for forensic examination. However, the court refused the extra time.
The prosecution counsel had argued that there were seven mobile phones — four of Dileep, two of his brother Anoop, and one used by his brother-in-law.
After Dileep denied having a fourth phone, the court asked him to submit six mobiles.
In the court, on Monday, the prosecution came down heavily on the “privileges being enjoyed” by Dileep, with the Director General of Prosecution claiming that this is perhaps the first time when on how the case should go is being dictated by an accused.
It cited the tactics of Dileep, noting that on Saturday, he said that he has no knowledge of the fourth mobile and when on Monday, while the fourth phone was submitted, the first mobile was not, terming it misleading the court.
Then, counsel for Dileep said the six phones that were presented to the court registry on Monday morning should not be handed over to the prosecution.
As this was strongly opposed by the prosecution, the court said it will post the case for Thursday, but later changed it and posted the case to be heard and disposed of on Tuesday, when it will rule on the actor’s anticipatory bail plea and also on to whom the phones should be handed over.
The prosecution claimed that they have travelled a long way in the case and forget about Dileep getting anticipatory bail, he is not even eligible for normal bail, as per the evidence against him, and sought his police custody.
The probe team had, last week, moved a fresh application, claiming that the actor had conspired to do away with the officials probing the case and this came after the actor, his brother Anoop, brother-in-law Sooraj, aide Appu alias Krishnadas, and close friend Byju Chengamanad were interrogated for 33 hours over three days early last week.
A frontline south Indian heroine had complained that she had been abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of goons in 2017 and certain scenes were filmed to blackmail her. After the main accused Sunil was arrested and questioned, Dileep was accused of being the main conspirator in the case and arrested.
According to the prosecution, Dileep, who is presently out on bail after spending two months in jail, had also seen the visuals of the attack on the actress.
(IANS)
