Malayalam actor and director Baburaj was arrested on Saturday, February 4, in a cheating case filed against him at the Adimali police station in Idukki district. He appeared before the police, as ordered by the Kerala High Court. After he is produced before the court, Baburaj is expected to be released on bail.
"His arrest was recorded as per the High Court's direction. He was later produced before a local court here [in Idukki] and he got bail," the police told PTI. The case involves his resort near Munnar. Sources said that Baburaj had given that property on lease without revealing that it was facing revenue recovery proceedings.
He had allegedly given it for lease to a person called Arun after taking Rs 40 lakhs in 2020. The resort was closed in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak, but when Arun tried to open it after the restrictions were lifted, he faced some technical issues. It was later found out that there was a problem in the title of some areas of the property, which according to the complainant was hidden from him.
Arun was refused a refund when he asked for it, following which he filed a complaint. Baburaj was summoned for questioning by the police and the Kerala High Court had asked him to appear before the police on Saturday. After recording his arrest, the police took him to a state-run hospital to complete the formalities of arrest.
Baburaj is a popular actor who has been doing supporting roles for a long time, beginning as a villain and later trying his hands at comedy before taking on serious characters. He has popular hits to his credit which includes Salt N Pepper, Mayamohini, and Honey Bee to name a few. He also directed the sequel of Salt and Pepper, which was titled Black Coffee.