The prime accused in the 2017 sexual assault case involving actor Dileep, Sunil Kumar alias 'Pulsar' Suni, moved the Supreme Court on Tuesday, 5 April, challenging the Kerala High Court’s order rejecting his bail application, reported LiveLaw.
Sunil, along with nine others, is accused of abducting and sexually assaulting a woman actor in a moving car. He has been in judicial custody for over five years.
He justified his case saying that he is the only accused remaining behind bars and claimed that his bail has been dismissed over apprehensions that it could be perceived wrongly by society.
The petitioner stated that the investigation currently underway with no likelihood of a conclusion being reached in the foreseeable future.
He also cited SC’s bail order to co-accused driver Martin Antony who has been behind bars for nearly five years.
The 2017 Case
In February 2017, a popular Malayalam actor was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving car in Kerala's Kochi. The trial was nearing completion in December 2021 when startling allegations against Malayalam actor Dileep surfaced, sending the investigation into a new direction.
A criminal conspiracy case was registered against Dileep, on 21 January 2022, after several audio clips came to light, in which the actor and one of his relatives allegedly appear to be conspiring to kill six police officials who were investigating the case.
The police, on 20 January, had filed a 68-page statement opposing the anticipatory bail plea filed by the actor in the Kerala High Court after he was booked in the new criminal conspiracy case.
The crime branch said in its statement that for the first time in the state's history, there has been a “criminal conspiracy to harm even the life of investigating officers.”
(With inputs from LiveLaw.)
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