Malayalam actress abduction: Dileep’s bail plea rejected again

Dileep’s bail plea rejected in Malayalam actress abduction case

The Angamaly Magistrate Court rejected the bail application of Dileep on Monday in the Malayalam actress abduction and sexual assault case. It is for the second time that the Angamaly court has turned down Dileep’s bail petition. The actor, who was arrested on July 10, has been in custody for 71 days for allegedly masterminding the attack on a female actor to settle his personal scores with her.

Dileep’s lawyer reportedly argued that the embattled actor should be granted bail, given that the additional charge sheet was not filed within 60 days of his arrest. The trial court, however, refused to give Dileep the much-needed relief based on the prosecution’s recommendation. The prosecution suggested that it was not advisable to let Dileep out at a time when the investigation was at a crucial stage.

The courts have expressed concern about Dileep using his clout to influence the investigation, earlier too, while hearing his bail applications. Dileep has been denied bail four times so far. The Angamaly court and the Kerala High Court have refused to grant him relief twice each. On Saturday, the custody of Dileep was extended until September 28 by the lower court.

Dileep’s Ramaleela is also due to release on September 28, after it was already delayed for over two months following the arrest of its lead actor. A call to boycott the film has been gaining traction on social media, while the filmmakers are confident that all the controversies around Dileep won’t affect the film’s fate at the box office.

“The purpose of making a film is to release it in theatres and make people to watch it. If people decide that they will boycott a film, then the very purpose of making a film is defeated. But I don’t think the negative campaign will have an effect at all. Let’s see it as opinions of individual people. I don’t think one person’s opinion is going to influence thousand others, if that were true, there would be no law and order problems. Our government is constantly asking people to live peacefully, but who is listening? It’s the same with these negative campaigns. People who are speaking against the film have their own politics,” director Arun Gopy told The News Minute.