The Kerala High Court today rejected accused actor Dileep’s plea seeking a copy of the visuals of the attack in the actress assault case. The court concurred with the prosecution’s argument and said that doing so would be an intrusion into the privacy of the actress.
Dileep, who is the eighth accused in the case, had approached the High Court after the district and sessions courts successively turned down his requests. His advocate’s argument was that the accused had a right over the documents pertaining to the case.
The accused had filed a plea early in January this year demanding to see all evidence, including visuals of the assault. He argued that during the time of the assault, the voice of a woman could be heard in the background and that the SIT did not probe that angle.
The prosecution argued that handing over the visuals would result in a threat to the security and privacy of the survivor. The police had argued that the status of the accused should also be taken into account and that he was capable of influencing witnesses and distorting evidence.
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The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, after hearing the arguments in February, ruled in favour of the prosecution. Following this, Dileep approached the High Court, where the trial of the case is set to begin soon.
Dileep was arrested on July 10, 2017, following his alleged role in the assault and abduction of the actress in a moving vehicle in February 2017. He was kept in custody for 85 days before being let out on bail.
Dileep had written to the State Government demanding a CBI probe into the case, citing that the SIT unit of Kerala Police has carried out an unfair investigation. A total of 12 persons, including Dileep, have been charged as accused in the case.