For weeks following the abduction and alleged sexual assault of a prominent Malayalam actor in February, the Kerala police had been following the case with several developments happening almost on a daily basis; but it just seemed like a wild goose chase with no definite leads.
However, with actor Dileep’s arrest on July 10, the police’s efforts have borne fruit. And as many have pointed out, the police team would not have gone ahead and made such a high profile arrest without gathering sufficient evidence.
Though all the details have not come out yet, police sources have told TNM that they have evidence that Rs 2 lakh was given to prime accused Pulsar Suni from Laksyah. Laksyah is the online clothing store owned by Dileep's wife and actor Kavya Madhavan, but managed by her mother.
What intensified their suspicion was that CCTV footage of three days following the incident in February was removed deliberately. Police took the statement of the person who removed it. "Why was that footage removed if they had nothing to hide?" asked the source.
It is important to note here that Pulsar Suni in a letter he had written to Dileep said that he had visited the showroom soon after the crime and handed over a memory card with visuals of the assault.
Dileep's and his friend, producer and director Nadirshah’s statements have been entirely contradictory said the source.
According to police sources, Dileep and the female actor, who have acted in many movies together, had real estate deals and also some monetary dealings.
Though the complete details are not yet known, sources have told TNM that the two had a first fallout after the woman actor supported his ex-wife Manju Warrier in their marital discord. Pulsar Suni has claimed that a plan to attack her was being discussed from then.
The second fallout was over financial deals. This is where Dileep's manager Appunni and others got involved.
Police have also got evidence of phone calls made between many of these people, including Pulsar Suni and his friends, Dileep, Nadirshah and Dileep's manager Appunni. The conversations were happening for many months and police believe that the conspiracy had been hatched much before February 2017. Many calls made from various phones before and after the crime too are important pieces of evidence say the police.
Suni has worked with many actors in the past, including Mukesh. According to the police, it was Mukesh who had introduced Suni to Dileep. However, Mukesh who had employed Suni earlier had dismissed him.
Police say, “Dileep and Pulsar Suni were very close according to what we know. The pictures which were leaked from the set is just the tip of the iceberg. He has been hobnobbing with Dileep for some time now.”