KOZHIKODE: Actor Koottickal Jayachandran, who had been absconding for more than six months in connection with a Pocso case, appeared before the Kasaba police on Thursday. His appearance comes after the Supreme Court granted him interim protection from arrest until February 28, pending the decision on his anticipatory bail plea.
A police official said Jayachandran, a native of Kottayam, arrived at the station, accompanied by his wife and lawyer.
The authorities said further steps in the investigation would be taken as per legal procedures.
The case, filed at the Kasaba police station in 2024, is based on a complaint from the survivor’s mother, who accused Jayachandran of abusing the child, allegedly taking advantage of a family dispute. He has been charged under IPC Sections 376(2)(n) and 376AB, as well as Sections 5(l), 5(m), 5(n), and 5(p) of the Pocso Act, read with Section 6.
The Supreme Court, after rejecting his immediate arrest, directed Jayachandran to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The court has also sent a notice to the state government and scheduled the next hearing for February 28. The actor, in his anticipatory bail plea, said that the case was a misuse of the Pocso law and alleged ulterior motives behind the complaint.
Earlier, the Kerala High Court had rejected his plea for anticipatory bail, prompting Jayachandran to approach the Supreme Court. With the interim order in place, the police will continue their probe while awaiting further court directives on the matter.