DileepIn what could be indicative of the sleazy underbelly of cinematic underworld, more prominent people from varied professions are coming under the scanner. The police are moving to arrest advocate Prateesh Chacko, who had appeared on behalf of Pulsar Suni, the main accused in the actress attack case of February 17.
Reports said Pulsar Suni had handed over a memory card, containing visuals of the victim actress being brutalized in a moving car, to the lawyer. The court had categorically stated that the arrest could not be avoided. The court would hear the lawyer's bail plea on Friday. The police suspect the lawyer to have 'hidden' the memory card, out of the reach of the police.
Though the police had consistently maintained that the current investigation would cover only the conspiracy behind the actress attack, the police actively sharing information on financial and other deals to agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) hinted at an all-encompassing probe. Even as the ED was moving in to freeze the accounts of Dileep, the police were probing his shady deals, including benami land deals. Investigators said they were looking at Dileep's reported connections with a Dubai-based black money gang. Sources privy to the investigation said the police had kept the ED in the loop all through.
There had been demands from various quarters, including mediapersons, to bring previous instances of similar harassment and the actors’ involvement under the scope of the probe. The police had but objected to this stating that such an expansive ambit would be stressful on its meager resources, especially manpower. The demands on the investigation team were high, given the highly sensitive nature of the case and the high-profile personalities involved.
The police had roped in IT experts to mine and analyze huge cache of digital data. Investigators had been painstakingly sifting through thousands of call data records (CDRs) to establish cell phone tower locations of the accused at given points of time. This may not be adequate to establish conspiracy but investigators said it could act as 'link' evidence to buttress the prosecution's arguments in court.
MLA involved?
The reported involvement of an MLA in Ernakulam district has virtually put the police in a tough situation. Police were examining why the legislator called Pulsar Suni on several occasions. The implications of a legislator's connections with a history-sheeter, who has been a darling of the filmy underbelly, is anyone's guess. The police team is also looking at Pulsar Suni's involvement in a human trafficking racket. Investigators are also expected to knock on the doors of actor and legislator Mukesh who had employed Pulsar Suni as his driver for some time.
The major task of the police is to establish conspiracy, especially when the defense has been repeatedly stating that there was no evidence. Dileep's lawyer Ramkumar had repeatedly told mediapersons that the charges were foisted. The two-day police custody granted today could prove vital for investigation team.
Leaving no stone unturned would be an overstatement but an all-encompassing probe and a strong prosecution case would go much beyond conviction of a few. It would reaffirm the common man's faith in law and reassure him that the 'arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.'
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