Supreme Court Rejects Malayalam Actor Dileep's Plea For Copy Of Memory Card In Kerala Actor Sexual Assault Case

Malayalam actor Dileep's who stands accused of sexually assaulting a female actor in a moving vehicle was denied from receiving a copy of  the  memory card that contains visuals of the alleged assault on an actress in 2017.

A bench comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheswari however has allowed him to access and inspect the video subject to conditions. The court, on Friday, dismissed the actor Dileep's plea citing the privacy of the victim that needs to be protected.

In his petition to the apex court, the actor, accused in the case that rocked the Malayalam film industry in 2017, claimed that he has the right to access the images in the memory card that is being considered to be the crucial evidence in the case.

Dileep had alleged that these images have been doctored 'to trap' him. The actress, in her petition, had appealed to the court that granting access to the visuals would be an invasion of her privacy, and might even result in the visuals getting leaked.

Earlier, Dileep had moved lower courts and the Kerala High Court seeking the memory card but in vain. The court had upheld the police contention that evidence cannot be handed over to the accused.

Dileep was arrested on July 10. The Kerala High Court on October 3 granted him bail with stringent conditions. Six persons, including key accused Pulsar Suni, were arrested in connection with the actress abduction case. The actor then a year forth moved the Kerala High Court, seeking a CBI investigation into the case. In his petition, he alleged that the Special Investigation Team of Kerala Police had carried out a 'unfair and biased investigation' in the case.

In a letter to the state secretary, he said a new team of Kerala Police should probe the case as the present investigators have not done a free and fair job and that he has been 'framed' by senior police officials,

The actress, who has worked in Tamil and Telugu films, was abducted and allegedly molested inside her car for two hours by the accused, who had forced their way into the vehicle on February 17 night and later escaped in a busy area.