Kerala Police officials raided Indian actor Dileep’s residence in Aluva on January 14 in connection with a new case filed against him for allegedly threatening cops involved in the investigation of the 2017 actress assault. Dileep has been named as one of the accused in the abduction case, but today's raids were propelled by a new case registered against the actor for allegedly threatening to harm and kill police officers looking into the actress assault case.
According to a report in Malayalam Manorama, raids were also conducted at his brother Anoop’s residence and his production company at the same time. The police reportedly formed a 20-member search team and were apparently on the lookout for evidence and visuals of the actress being assaulted.
Their search lasted for more than seven hours and reports claim the police confiscated a hard-disk and a mobile phone by the end of the evening. Some reports also said that the authorities were looking for a firearm.
In February 2017, a popular actress was abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of men in a moving vehicle in Kerala and the crime was reportedly recorded on camera. Dileep is the eighth accused in the case and has been named as the mastermind behind the reported attack that was allegedly orchestrated to settle personal scores. This case is currently under trial.
Meanwhile, the current raids pertain to a fresh allegation against the actor over audio recordings of him threatening to kill the police officials investigating the 2017 case. The actor has sought anticipatory bail in the matter.
The interest in the case gained momentum when film director and alleged friend of Dileep, Balachandra Kumar, claimed that he had spotted Dileep with Pulsar Suni, the prime accused in the actress abduction case, and that the actor had the visuals in his hand. Kumar also claimed that he had spotted Suni at Dileep’s residence.
According to a report in IANS, the actor is likely to called in for questioning this Saturday.
Dileep, who is being charged with ‘revenge crime’, spent several weeks in jail in 2017 before securing bail in the actress assault case.
