Kochi: The Kerala High Court Tuesday rejected the bail plea of embattled actor Dileep, who has been remanded in custody for allegedly plotting the February 17 actress attack.
The court denied bail after considering the evidence submitted by the prosecution in a sealed cover.
Dismissing the bail petition, the second by the actor since his arrest on July 10, the court ruled that the investigation in the case was still progressing and there appeared to be no substantial change in circumstance (since the previous bail plea).
The court reiterated that there was prima facie evidence against the actor. If Dileep is granted bail, he could influence the witnesses, the court observed.
The court had earlier dismissed his bail application on July 24 after finding that the mobile phone, stated by the prosecution as a key evidence in the case, had not been recovered.
Opposing the bail plea, the prosecution has contended that the original memory card in which the video of the incident had allegedly been stored was yet to be recovered. The investigators were still attempting to unearth the material objects, including the phone and memory card.
The actor in his fresh plea then submitted that the scenario had completely changed and that he was not the kingpin of any criminal conspiracy or even a participant therein.
The petitioner said in his entire life, he has never seen, met or talked with prime accused in the case Pulsar Suni.
He never knew him by name or face and there is not even a remote possibility of any such person meeting him at any point of time.
He alleged that there was a 'large-scale conspiracy' hatched by a small but powerful section of film industry and certain others who could manage police, media and political leaders to spread utter falsehood and malicious stories about him for months together.
The actor approached the HC after the Angamaly court rejected his bail plea. The Angamaly court had recently extended his remand period till September 2. Therefore, the actor's fate on September 4, when Kerala celebrates Onam, remains uncertain.
He was arrested on July 10 and since then he has been lodged in Aluva sub jail.
The police have claimed that the conspiracy to abduct and assault the actress and videotape the assault was hatched by Dileep and Pulsar Suni.
(With inputs from PTI)
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