Kochi: The Crime Branch team investigating the 2017 actress abduction and assault, on Wednesday, questioned a priest in connection with the case.
The probe team had summoned Fr Victor Everistus of the Latin Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram for questioning after discovering his WhatsApp chats in the mobile phone of the eighth accused Dileep.
During interrogation, the priest said that he had maintained a friendship with Dileep and that he had met the actor after the latter got bail. He claimed that he met Dileep for other purposes and not in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, a petition was filed in the Additional Sessions Court, seeking inquiry into the circumstances under which the telephonic conversations of the advocates appearing for the accused in the case were leaked.
The voice clip of the advocates teaching prosecution witness Anoop, brother of Dileep, on how he should give his statement in the court had come out earlier in the public domain.
Actress-survivor submits more proof
The actress-survivor has submitted more proof to the Kerala Bar Council to corroborate her allegation that the defense lawyers had connived with the accused to destroy evidence and influence witnesses in the case.
On February 17, 2017, the renowned actress was kidnapped and sexually assaulted in a moving car near Kochi. Five men abducted her and filmed the entire assault.
A few months later, it was revealed that Pulsar Suni and six others were accused. Actor Dileep's involvement in the incident surfaced. Though he was named eighth accused, he is construed to be the purported mastermind behind the assault.
He is also accused of trying to sabotage the probe into the case by hatching a plot to hurt the investigating officer, influencing witnesses and destroying evidence.
