Kochi: The Kerala police team probing the 2017 sexual assault case of an actress on Monday raided the house of a friend of Malayalam actor Dileep, who is accused of plotting the crime.
The police also raided the house of Dileep's brother-in-law Sooraj.
The Crime Branch team raided the house of Sarath, a friend and business partner of Dileep, at Thottumukham near Aluva. Police sources said the raid was to search for the visuals of the assault on the survivor actress and a gun allegedly used by Dileep. Police said Sarath has gone into hiding.
The raids follow the revelations made by Dileep's former friend and filmmaker Balachandra Kumar, who told the police that the actor and his friends had plotted to attack the investigation officers.
Sarath's name was mentioned in some audio records which Balachandra Kumar produced before the police and media as evidence of a conspiracy by the accused.
A team of police officers had raided Dileep's residence at Aluva on Thursday. The house was locked, but the police team jumped the gate to enter the premises. After an hour, a relative of the actor reached the spot and opened the house for the police for the inspection and search, allowed by the court.
Last week the police registered a fresh case under non-bailable clauses against Dileep, his brother Anoop, his brother-in-law Sooraj and other family members.
Kumar, who recently fell out with Dileep, had told the police that the actor has a few clips of the assault on the actress.
Kumar also pointed out that the actor had threatened to take action on his own against a few police officials, who were probing the actress abduction case.
Kumar presented himself before the police probe team and gave his detailed statement. He also testified before a local magistrate.
Dileep has moved the high court seeking anticipatory bail. The court will hear his plea on Tuesday.
