Actor assault case: Kerala court dismisses Dileep's petition to reject charge sheet over missing evidence

Dileep had approached the court after police filed a supplementary charge sheet invoking charges for causing the disappearance of evidence and destruction of documents.
Malayalam actor Dileep who is a key accused in the actor assault case.(File | A Sanesh, EPS)
Malayalam actor Dileep who is a key accused in the actor assault case.(File | A Sanesh, EPS)

KOCHI: In a setback to actor Dileep, a lower court on Friday dismissed petitions he and his friend filed pleading not to accept the supplementary charge sheet filed by the police against them in the sensational actor abduction case.

The Ernakulam District Principal Sessions Court said the charge of destruction of evidence was made out against actor Dileep in connection with the 2017 actress assault case in which he is one of the accused.

The court also ordered Dileep and his friend Sharath G Nair to appear on Monday as part of framing charges based on the supplementary charge sheet filed in July this year.

The court dismissed their pleas seeking discharge from these additional charges. It listed the matter on October 31 for reading out the charges to the two accused, the actor's lawyer said

These charges were invoked against them by the police in an additional charge sheet filed by it in July this year after carrying out a further probe into the 2017 case based on certain revelations made by director Balachandra Kumar.

Dileep and Sharath had approached the court after police filed a supplementary charge sheet invoking charges for causing the disappearance of evidence under IPC Section 201 and destruction of documents or electronic records to prevent its production as evidence under IPC Section 204.

The duo challenged it claiming that police after conducting a further investigation could not find any evidence against them. Sharath was arraigned only based on the statement given by director Balachandrakumar.

However, the court dismissed the petition stating that charges against the accused can be decided during the trial stage. The court decided to frame charges against Sharath and Dileep based on the supplementary charge sheet filed by the police.

Recently, the report from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) confirming the authenticity of voice clips recorded by Balachandrakumar was sent to the court. The trial of the case came to standstill in January this year after police conducted a further investigation based on revelations made by director Balachandrakumar. There are nine accused persons in the case.

It was on February 17, 2017, that a leading actor was abducted and assaulted in a moving car while she was travelling from Thrissur to Kochi. So far, the police have filed three charge sheets in the case.

(With inputs from PTI)

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