KOCHI: In a fresh development in the actor assault case, the SIT has taken into custody lawyer Raju Joseph, who is the junior of Pratheesh Chacko, the former counsel of key accused Pulsar Suni. The cops took Raju to Aluva Police Club on Sunday evening to record his statement.
Based on Suni’s deposition, the police searched Pratheesh’s office and recovered a bag containing four SIM cards, a memory card, a card reader and clothes Suni wore while committing the crime.
Of the four SIM cards, three were used by Suni. The police prepared a mahazar during the seizure of the material evidence. It is learnt Raju signed in the mahazar as witness.
The SIT has also intensified the search for Dileep’s manager Appunni and Pratheesh who are absconding. A policeman said Suni handed over the memory card containing visuals of the actor being abused to Pratheesh who has been absconding after the High Court in a notice directed him to appear before the investigation team. The investigators found Appunni attempted to work out a settlement between Dileep and Suni over the quotation amount after Suni reportedly wrote to the actor from jail.
The police, who are not ruling out chances of Appunni being arraigned as an accused, said under the circumstances, the interrogation of Appunni and the lawyer was crucial in the investigation.
The statements of two persons who reportedly witnessed a meeting between Dileep and Suni at a shooting location have been recorded.Dileep, the 11th accused in the case, will approach the High Court seeking bail on Monday.
WCC to move against Senkumar
The Women’s Collective in Cinema (WCC) condemned the “anti-women” statements of former DGP T P Senkumar made in the midst of a yet unpublished magazine interview and said they will approach the State Women’s Commission seeking legal action against him.