Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday refused to cancel the bail of Malayalam actor Dileep, implicated in the actor assault case. The bench under Justice Sophie Thomas reviewed the government's plea seeking a cancellation of the actor's bail.
Previously, the state's attempt to revoke bail at a trial court level failed, prompting escalated efforts at the High Court. Government prosecutors insist Dileep has been using his liberty to subvert justice by influencing witnesses and meddling with evidence, a claim stoutly denied by the actor.
Dileep had stated in his affidavit in the High Court that the allegations made by the government in the petition to cancel his bail are baseless and have been rejected by the court many times before. Dileep had stated that the trial court had already examined 259 prosecution witnesses and there was no reason to think that he would influence the investigating officer and the joint director of the forensic lab.
In a related development, the High Court has ordered the submission of a probe report into the unlawful inspection of a memory card central to the case. The report's disclosure follows a directive in favor of the survivor who had petitioned for access.
A Malayalam actor was abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving car by a gang in Kochi on February 17, 2017. The perpetrators filmed the assault. Actor Dileep was arrested and jailed for nearly six months for his alleged links with the gang. The Supreme court has directed the trial court in Ernakulam to complete the trial by March 31, 2024.
