Actress abduction case: Bindu Panicker fails to recall her statement

On Tuesday, the cross-examination of Rahul Nambeesan, the brother of actor Remya Nambeesan, will be held.

KOCHI: In yet another blow to the prosecution in the 2017 actor abduction case, actor Bindu Panicker on Monday reportedly retracted from her statement that she had given to the police earlier.

Bindu, the 13th witness in the case, was supposed to inform the Additional Special Sessions Court here of the reasons for the enmity between the victim and actor Dileep, the eighth accused. He was present in the court while she was examined.

However, she reportedly failed to remember her statement during her examination following which the prosecution requested the court to declare her hostile and cross-examined her. The prosecution was previously dealt a blow when actor and secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists Idavela Babu gave contradictory statements during his examination last week.

Meanwhile, actor Kunchacko Boban, the 16th witness against whom a bailable warrant had been issued for failing to appear before the court, was examined during the afternoon session. He stood by the statement he had earlier given to the special investigation team that probed the case. Following his appearance, the prosecution returned the warrant to the court.

On Tuesday, the cross-examination of Rahul Nambeesan, the brother of actor Remya Nambeesan, will be held.Another witness Sathish, whose examination was only partly completed, has also been asked to appear before the court on Tuesday. Remya will be cross-examined on Wednesday, while actor-cum-director Lal and actor Bhama will be cross-examined and examined, respectively, on Thursday. Following this, the next sitting of the trial will be held on March 25. So far, 36 witnesses have been examined by the court in the trial since it commenced on January 30.

Kunchacko Boban stays firm
Actor Kunchacko Boban against whom a bailable warrant was issued for failing to appear before the court, stood by the statement he had earlier given to the SIT during witness examination

HC dismisses Dileep’s plea

Kochi: High Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by actor Dileep, the eighth accused in the actor abduction and sexual assault case seeking to quash the charge framed against him by the Additional Sessions Court, Ernakulam. Dileep challenged the decision to try charges of conspiracy to extort money levelled by him against Sunil and two other accused, along with the sexual assault case. According to Dileep’s petition, the charges pertaining to the criminal conspiracy hatched by the accused, Sunil, Sanilkumar and Vishnu were not part of the sexual assault case.

Therefore, the charges could not be tried in the case in which the petitioner was arraigned accused as he was really a victim of criminal conspiracy. The charges could not be considered as a continuation of the original conspiracy.

Dismissing the petition, Justice P B Suresh Kumar observed that going by the pleadings, the conspiracy was an independent one which has nothing to do with the conspiracy referred to in the final reports of which Dileep is one of the conspirators.

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