Kochi: The Special Investigation Team submitted an additional chargesheet in the actress assault case on Wednesday, nearly nine months after the crime, arraigning actor Dileep as eighth accused while his ex-wife Manju Warrier is the 11th witness.
The 1,450-page chargesheet names 14 accused, including two persons as approvers, and mentions 355 witnesses besides 33 confidential statements.
It enlists eight reasons for actor Dileep to “conspire the crime.” The chargesheet also contains over 400 documents, including scientific evidence.
According to sources, Dileep has been booked for offences under IPC 120(a) and 120(b) for criminal conspiracy, IPC 109 for abetment of crime, IPC 342 for wrongful confinement, IPC 366 for abduction, IPC 354 and IPC 354 (b) for use of criminal force to woman, IPC 357 for assault or criminal force for wrongful confinement, IPC 375(d) for gang rape, IPC 506 (1) for criminal intimidation, IPC 201 for destruction of evidence, IPC 212 for harbouring offender and IPC 34 for acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention. Besides, the actor has been also booked under section 66 E and 67 (A) of the Information Technology Act.
As per the chargesheet, Dileep allegedly nursed a grudge towards the victim over her reported involvement in the break-up of his previous matrimonial relationship. He even had an altercation with her during the rehearsal camp of a mega show, which drew the intervention of other actors present at the spot.
The SIT had arrested Dileep on July 10. However, he secured a bail from the Kerala High Court after spending 85 days in jail and was released on October 3. The supplementary chargesheet of the February 17 attack case named five more persons as accused besides the seven accused mentioned in the original chargesheet. While Dileep is eighth accused, Mesthari Sunil, who allegedly smuggled in a mobile phone to Suni in jail, Vishnu, who took the blackmailing letter to Dileep’s manager Appunni, advocates Prateesh Chacko and Raju Joseph are arraigned as the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth accused. The last two are charged with destruction of evidence for allegedly destroying the mobile phone which was used to record the assault videos.
However, Vipin Lal, who wrote the blackmailing letter at the behest of Suni, and P.K. Aneesh, a policeman, who allegedly gave his mobile phone to Suni to help him contact Dileep from Jail, had turned approvers.
The first seven accused are Pulsar Suni, Vijeesh, Manikandan, Vadival Salim, Martin Joseph, Pradeep and Charley Thomas who were directly involved in the case and who tried to help the accused. Earlier, a police team led up Circle Inspector Baiju Paulose reached the Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court around 4 p.m. and submitted the chargesheet.
