The Crime Branch of Kerala Police summoned Malayalam director Rafi for interrogation to the Crime Branch office at Kalamassery, where they are interrogating actor Dileep for the last six hours in the Malayalam actress assault case. Interrogation of Dileep and the others accused in a case related to hatching a conspiracy to attack the investigating officials started for the second day at the Crime branch office today.
The Kerala High Court on Saturday had directed Dileep and four of his associates, including his brother, brother-in-law and two friends, to appear before the Kerala Crime Branch for three days starting Sunday for questioning. The actor along with his brother and brother-in-law arrived in the same car for interrogation at 8.45 am.
The questioning is being led by Crime Branch Superintendent of Police C. Mohanachandran.
The court, in its interim order on Saturday, said the accused should not be arrested till January 27 and that they can be interrogated for three days from January 23 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
It also directed the prosecutor to place before it a report on the interrogation on January 27.
Apart from Dileep, his brother Anoop, brother-in-law Sooraj, his aide Appu, alias Krishnadas, and close friend Byju Chengamanad are those being interrogated.
Popular for playing the comic roles on screen, Dileep has been in the news for the wrong reasons after a frontline South Indian heroine 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, the prosecution charged Dileep with being the main conspirator in the case. Dileep was arrested and jailed. He spent two months in prison before getting bail and the trial is on.
Recently, a former close associate of Dileep, Balachandrakumar, a movie director who had fallen out with the actor, revealed that Dileep had conspired to teach the investigating officer “a lesson”.
He had alleged that Dileep while watching a YouTube video of the then Superintendent of Police A.V. George in relation to the case, had spoken about “teaching a lesson” to the officer and engaging rowdy elements for it. Dileep’s accomplices, according to Balachandran had said that they would have to spend Rs 1.5 crore for this.
Balachandrakumar made the deposition before a magistrate’s court along with a few audio recordings he had made at Dileep’s residence.
(With IANS inputs)
