Kochi: The investigation into the abduction and sexual assault of a female actor took dramatic turn on Wednesday with the special investigation team (SIT) headed by additional director-general of police B. Sandhya grilling actor Dileep, his close friend actor-director Nadirsha and his personal manager in connection with the alleged conspiracy behind the incident as well as the alleged blackmailing attempt on the actor by Sunil Kumar aka Pulsar Suni, the prime accused in the assault case. The marathon session started at around 12.30 in the Aluva police guest house is continuing late into the night with the probe team remaining completely tightlipped about the interrogation.
While Dileep told reporters before he entered Aluva police club that he was to meet the investigation team to give his statement in connection with the complaint he had lodged with the state police chief on April 12 about an attempt to blackmail him in the case, police sources said the interrogation covered the assault case also. “We are looking into the allegations against Dileep in the abduction episode as well as those levelled by him,’’ said an official.
A case on the alleged blackmailing attempt will be made based on the statements made by the trio, he said. Sources said Dileep and Nadirshah were questioned in separate rooms by the members of the probe team. Appuni, a personal aid of Dileep, was also questioned separately. The three will again be questioned in order to cross check their statements, sources said.
Stating he is not willing to be a subjected to a “trial by media”, Dileep had said he would tell the police whatever he wanted to tell in connection with the incident. He said some people are determined to implicate him in the case. Nadirshah, who reached the police club before Dileep, dodged the media persons and entered the premises.The SIT has escalated the probe into the case for the past few days with a well planned strategy. Sources said Ms Sandhya held a meeting with actors Manju Warrier and the victim of the abduction and assault a few days ago in a hotel in Kochi.
The victim of the assault was especially called from Bengaluru to Kochi for the meeting, sources said. Although the purpose of the meeting is not known sources familiar with the development said the probe into the case gathered a fresh momentum after the meeting. The name of Dileep was again dragged into the case a few days ago in the wake of a letter, purportedly written by Pulsar Sunil to Dileep, being leaked to the media. Soon after the content of the letter appeared in the media, Dileep and Nadirshah told the media that an attempt had been made to blackmail Dileep and the persons behind the attempt sought Rs 1.5 crore from him.
They also said that Dileep had filed a complaint in this regard to the state police chief (SPC) in April this year. According to the complaint filed by Dileep with the SPC on the alleged attempt to extort Rs.1.5 crore from him, a person identified as Vishnu contacted Nadirsha and Appunni over phone and sought the sum for not targeting the actor. Vishnu and another person are currently in judicial custody. The records in Kakkanad jail suggested Vishu, a former jail mate of Pulsar Suni, had visited the latter six times in March and May. Vishnu has also been accused of smuggling the mobile phone used by Suni for allegedly contacting Dileep and Nadirshah. Pulsar Suni is also understood to have told the police that Dileep had previous knowledge of the assault.
