Kochi: The Special Investigation Team probing the actor abduction and sexual assault case would examine whether the gang headed by ‘Pulser’ Suni had acted at the behest of a third party. Earlier, the victim in her statement had alleged that the main accused while attacking her in the car on February 17 night had claimed that the operation was part of a ‘quotation’ and threatened to take her to a flat at Vennala if she continued to resist. “We’ll probe all angles, including whether a third party had entrusted the gang headed by Suni to carry out the heinous act. The inquiry will also cover how such persons facing criminal charges are being employed for so long in the cine field without checking their antecedents,” a senior police officer said.
However, the interrogation of the three accused in custody revealed that they were unaware of any ‘quotation’ and that Suni had promised to pay them from the amount to be extorted from the actor by blackmailing her. ‘Vadival’ Salim and Pradeep, during their interrogation, also told the cops that Suni and the two absconding aides, Vijesh and Manikandan, had sexually assaulted the actor and recorded the videos. Meanwhile, ‘Suni’ gave cops the slip for the second time. The police traced another of the mobile number used by him and learnt that he would visit the house of his friend at Ambalapuzha to collect money.
However, by the time the cops traced the house of one Anwar, Suni had fled from there. “We’ve taken Anwar into custody. He admitted to have given Rs 10, 000 to the main accused. We’re confident of nabbing the remaining three accused soon,” the officer said. Earlier, soon after the incident, the cops had tracked ‘Suni’ to Gandhinagar and nearby areas by tracing his mobile phone tower location. However, he sensed that the cops were after him and escaped after switching off his mobile.
