Kochi: Malayalam actor Dileep, accused in the 2017 actress attack, tampered with the evidence on four mobile phones submitted to the Kerala High Court, claims a forensic report by the Kerala police. The report, submitted by the Crime Branch in a case pertaining to the alleged conspiracy to endanger probe officers of the 2017 case, claims that the data from the phones was deleted or tampered with at a private lab in Mumbai.
A copy of forensic report obtained by Manorama News claims that the phones were sent to the lab after the court, on January 29, ordered the accused to submit them. The phones were formatted or the data in them was deleted at the lab on January 29 and 30 at Labindia Private Limited in Mumbai.
The mobile phones of actor Dileep and other accused in the conspiracy case were submitted to the court on February 20, 2022.
The HC, earlier on the day, had dismissed actor Dileep's plea opposing further probe in the 2017 actress assault case and permitted the Crime Branch to go ahead with the investigation.
The order was passed by Justice Kauser Edappagath who said that the investigating agency has to complete the further probe as expeditiously as possible and not later than April 15.
The actor, represented by senior advocate B Raman Pillai and advocates Philip T Varghese and Thomas T Varghese, had contended that the further investigation was a "sham" and an attempt to further delay the trial of the case.
Opposing his plea, the police – represented by Director General of Prosecution (DGP) T A Shaji and Additional Public Prosecutor P Narayanan – had told the court that there was no legal bar or impediment in carrying out further investigation in the 2017 actor assault case merely because the trial was at its fag end and added that no prior permission was required for it.
The actress-survivor, who was allowed to be a part of the proceedings by the court, had also supported the prosecution's decision to carry out further probe saying she wants a fair trial and the truth behind the incident needs to be revealed.
The actress, who has worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, was abducted and allegedly molested in her car for two hours by some persons who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017 and later escaped in a busy area. The entire act was filmed by those persons to blackmail the actress.
There are 10 accused in the 2017 case and police have arrested seven. Dileep was arrested subsequently and released on bail.
