Kerala HC to pronounce verdict on Dileep's plea today

Kochi: The Kerala High Court is likely to pronounce its verdict today on actor Dileep's plea to quash the crime branch FIR, alleging a conspiracy by him and others to kill the investigating officers in the actor assault case.

According to Kerala High Court's website, Justice Ziyad Rahman A A will pronounce the verdict at 1.45 PM.

Justice Ziyad Rahman AA is considering the petition demanding to quash the case, which was registered on the statement of film director Balachandrakumar or to order a CBI investigation.

While reserving judgment in the matter on March 31, the court had asked the Crime Branch not to file its final report in the case before the verdict is pronounced.

Dileep, in his plea filed through advocate Philip T Varghese, has alleged that the murder conspiracy FIR was an outcome of personal animosity against the actor as all the male members of his family have been implicated in it.

His lawyers had earlier argued that there was an absence of any material in the murder conspiracy FIR to indicate the commission of any of the offences attributed to the accused and the entire case was based on something allegedly "wished" by him.

They had also claimed before the high court that offenses in the latest FIR were non-cognizable and therefore, could not have been registered without prior permission from a magistrate.

The Crime Branch, represented by Director General of Prosecution (DGP) T A Shaji and Additional Public Prosecutor P Narayanan, on the other hand, had contended before the court that the allegations in the FIR make out offences that warrant setting in motion the investigation machinery.

They had contended that the alleged utterances by the accused of threatening to harm the officials indicated what was in their mind and was a "manifestation" of their agreement or conspiracy.

They had also claimed that director Balachandra Kumar, based on whose revelations the case was lodged, was only able to record some bits and pieces of the utterances by the accused, while much more was said and done by the accused which he understood to be a conspiracy.

His recordings lend credence to his claim that there was a conspiracy, they had claimed.

The court, thereafter, had asked the agency why there was a delay of around four years in Kumar coming forward with his revelations regarding the alleged conspiracy and whether it would suggest an ill-motive on the part of the director.

To this, the agency had responded that the reasons for the delay would be investigated and one of the reasons probably could be his close association with the actor.

The actress-victim, who has worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, was abducted and allegedly molested in her car for two hours by some persons who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017. The entire act was filmed by those persons to blackmail the actress.

There are 10 accused in the 2017 case and police have arrested seven. Dileep was arrested subsequently and released on bail.