In the latest development in the Kerala actor sexual assault case, actor Dileep, who is accused of being the mastermind of the 2017 case, has written to the Director General of Police not to investigate the case further. While accused persons ask for a fair trial in normal cases, Dileep has curiously requested the DGP to ask his subordinates to withdraw a petition given in court asking for further investigation. The Kerala police had sought a stay of the trial as they are conducting a further investigation into the allegations raised by Balachandrakumar, a filmmaker, against Dileep.
In his petition to the DGP, Dileep has raised allegations against Deputy Superintendent of Police Baiju Paulose, an investigating officer in the case, claiming that the latter has conspired against him as far as the claims made by Balachandrakumar on December 25 are concerned. Balachandrakumar said in an interview with Reporter Live channel that Dileep knew accused number 1 Pulsar Suni very well, and that he had asked Balachandrakumar not to reveal this fact to the police.
Dileep, who seems fairly confident of the way the trial is going, has accused Baiju Poulose of propping up Balachandrakumar at the last stage, to save his reputation. The petition says, "The above officer seems to have realised by sitting in the Court throughout the examination of witnesses that the defense could successfully bring on record the falsity of allegations levelled against the petitioner in his final report and dishonest acts of himself and his team during investigation is exposed during the trial. It seems the officer is scared that if the presiding officer who recorded the evidence of 202 witnesses is allowed to pass a verdict in the matter it will affect his career which he has deliberately built up using false propaganda in media."
Balachandrakumar meanwhile has been raising serious allegations against Dileep, including that the actor was in possession of visuals of the sexual assault, even before he and his lawyers watched it at the magistrate’s chamber in December 2017. Further, Balachandrakumar claimed that the audio in the original clip was enhanced for Dileep’s viewing.
In his petition to the police, Dileep alleged that Baiju Paulose and other police officials tutored Balachandrakumar on what to say, and his interview was intentionally telecast on Reporter Live a few days before the announcement of Dileep's new movie, to tarnish his image. The accused actor claims in the petition that Baiju Paulose brought Balachandrakumar as a witness because "all the witnesses to prove his (Baiju Paulose) conclusions incorporated in the final report had exhausted and his stock of witnesses to prove the false allegations against the petitioner (Dileep) got over."
The accused mentioned in the petition that he had already approached court to start contempt action proceedings against the investigation officer.
He also asked the DGP to direct the investigating officer to withdraw the petition seeking a further probe in the case. "Humbly request that appropriate enquiry and stringent action may be taken against Baiju Paulose and necessary orders issued directing the officer to withdraw the unauthorised petition filed seeking permission to further investigate the case...." Dileep wrote.
Earlier, the survivor wrote to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, expressing her anguish over Public Prosecutor Anilkumar’s resignation last week. He was the second Public Prosecutor to quit the case.