Kochi: The Crime Branch is inquiring into the activities of cyber expert Sai Shankar, whose services were allegedly sought by cine artist Dileep, who is a co-accused in the 2017 actress assault case.
The investigators have received information that Sai Shankar had stalked Baiju M Paulose, the police officer who handled the assault case, with a gun on two occasions.
Sai Shankar followed the police officer once when the latter was on a visit to Kozhikode, and a second time while he was in Thiruvananthapuram. There is evidence that Dileep's lawyer had spoken to Sai Shankar constantly over the phone during these days. Moreover, Sai Sankar is found to have also checked the mobile tower location of Baiju Paulose several times during this period.
Baiju Paulose is currently a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
It is also alleged that Sai Shankar had borrowed Rs45 lakh from a Kozhikode resident, Mihalaj, for starting an IT business. When Mihalaj asked him to return the money, the IT professional made a video call and threatened him with a handgun. The investigating officials have obtained visuals of Sai Shankar threatening Mihalaj with a gun.
Nadakavu police have registered a case on the complaint of Mihalaj.
Sai Shankar had borrowed the money saying that a senior official of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at the Chennai airport was a close friend and that he would help Mihalaj obtain confiscated smuggled goods through a private auction.
How Sai Shankar and Dileep came together
Sai Shankar and his accomplice Narayandas, who is a resident of Eroor in Ernakulam, were arrested by Baiju Paulose in 2015 over a honey trap case. Both were into fraudulent activities together.
Baiju Paulose was then the police inspector at Thrippunithura.
Narayandas' advocate knew about Sai Shankar's enmity with Baiju Paulose. He roped in Sai Shankar to help Dileep.
Several phone calls were found to have been made from Dileep’s phone to Sai Shankar.
The investigating officials have obtained information that Sai Shankar and Narayandas had procured the uniforms and guns of defence forces to threaten the honey trap victims by posing as officials of central agencies.
