Kochi: The Crime Branch has procured clinching evidence to prove that Malayalam film actor Dileep had destroyed crucial call records.
The Crime Branch on Wednesday collected the statement of Yogendra Yadav, the head of the private lab in Mumbai which was engaged for removing data from Dileep's cellphones.
Yadav informed the police that the lab was paid Rs 75,000 each for removing data from the four phones handed over by the actor.
The Crime Branch is attempting to recover the lost data from the cellphones.
The probe officers also questioned the person who introduced Dileep's lawyers to the lab. The lawyers reportedly visited the lab ahead of the trial in the 2017 actor assault case in which Dileep is a co-accused.
Earlier a forensic report by the Kerala Police had stated that Dileep tampered with the evidence on four mobile phones that were submitted to the Kerala High Court.
This report was submitted by the Crime Branch over a related case pertaining to the alleged conspiracy to endanger a couple of cops who had investigated the 2017 case.
A copy of the forensic report is in the posssession of Manorama News.
The phones were sent to the lab after the court, on January 29, ordered the accused to submit them. The phones were either formatted or the data in them was deleted at the Labindia Private Limited in Mumbai the lab on January 29 and 30, the report states.
The mobile phones of actor Dileep and other accused in the conspiracy case were submitted to the court on February 20, 2022.
A female actor, who has worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, was abducted and allegedly raped 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.
A conspiracy case was filed against the actor, his brother Anoop and others after director Balachandrakumar recently claimed that Dileep and others conspired to harm the investigating officers.