Actor Dileep is among the accused in the actor assault case of 2017
The Kerala High Court granted anticipatory bail to Mollywood actor Dileep in a case related to the conspiracy to eliminate police officers probing the actress assault case. Dileep along with four others, including his brother Sivakumar, his brother-in-law T N Sooraj and two others were granted relief. Justice P Gopinath on Monday said, “Prima facie… there is no material to suggest that the accused had committed the offence of criminal conspiracy. Section 118 of the IPC will be attracted only if there is some material to suggest that there was a design to commit an offence. If there is material to suggest that there was a criminal conspiracy, as is suggested by the prosecution, the offence concealing design to commit an offence (IPC section 118) will also be attracted.”
The actress assault case of 2017 is finally in the last leg of its trial when Director Balachandrakumar revealed new evidence against Dileep. He alleged that the actor had conspired to eliminate the police officers investigating the case following which the police had filed an FIR against the actor and he was questioned for 33 hours over three days. His phones have been submitted to the court for further investigation and analysis. The actor has received anticipatory bail in the conspiracy case for now. What becomes of the actress assault case is yet to be seen.
The court meanwhile reprimanded the media and others who criticised the judicial system. It said, “This case has generated a lot of media attention. Mainstream television media and social media have commented upon the way this court went upon its business in handling this case. The existence of a vibrant, independent and free press is no doubt essential to democracy. The constitutional courts in this country have been zealous to protect the freedom of speech and expression but this cannot be a licence for persons armed with half-baked facts with little or no knowledge of how the judiciary functions and little or no knowledge of the fundamental legal principles that govern it, abuse the justice delivery system.”
