Actress assault: HC rejects actor Dileep's plea for digital evidence

The Kerala High Court today dismissed a petition filed by Malayalam actor Dileep seeking a copy of the digital evidence of the alleged assault of a noted south Indian actress, in which he was a key accused.

When the matter came up before Justice Sunil Thomas, the Kerala government stoutly opposed it saying providing a copy of the alleged visuals to the accused would affect the privacy of the victim, who was abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of men in a moving car here in February last year.

Rejecting the plea, the judge appreciated the contention made by the government.

In his petition filed in the high court in March, Dileep said he was denied the rights of a defendant by a trial court in Angamaly.

He moved the high court when the lower court was set to commence trial proceedings.

In February, the Angamaly Judicial Magistrate Court had dismissed a plea by Dileep seeking copies of visuals of the alleged assault committed on the actress by the gang.

The magistrate court had accepted the argument of the prosecution that the clippings could be misused by Dileep, affecting the privacy of the actress.

Dileep is eighth among the 12 accused in the case. He secured bail nearly three months after his arrest on July 10 last year.

The high court had granted him bail with stringent conditions.

The key accused in the case, Pulsar Suni, has been in jail since his arrest early last year.

The actress, who has worked in Tamil and Telugu films, was abducted and allegedly molested inside her car for two hours by Suni and his accomplices, who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17 last year and later escaped.