Kochi: Trial proceedings in the abduction bid on a senior female actress eight years ago, in which Sunil Kumar, aka 'Pulsar' Suni, is the main accused, began at the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court here on Tuesday.

Suni is also the prime accused in the sensational abduction and assault of a popular young Malayalam actress, a case in which leading actor Dileep was arraigned as the eighth accused.

The attempt to abduct the senior actress was allegedly made by a gang led by Suni on January 5, 2011, when she arrived in Kochi to act in a movie produced by Johny Sagarika.

At the time of the incident, Suni was serving as Johnny’s driver. Suni had conspired with others to abduct a young actress, but the plan went awry after they abducted another senior artiste by mistake from near the Ernakulam South railway station.

When senior actress alighted at the station, Suni allegedly phoned the actress from the producer’s office and told her that she would be taken to a hotel at Kundannoor. The intention was to blackmail the actress after having recorded a nude video of hers. The gang had also targeted an upcoming actress who accompanied the senior woman.

However, the abduction bid failed after the producer, who was unaware of Suni’s vicious motives, assigned another task to him on the same day.

The actress was picked by Suni’s accomplices from the railway station. When the vehicle took a detour, she sensed trouble and contacted her husband, also a noted producer, over phone. He, in turn, passed on the information to the producer of the film and the police. Three persons had been arrested in connection with the incident.

The examination of Johny Sagarika in the case has been completed.

The woman filed a complaint only after Suni emerged as the prime suspect in the 2017 abduction and sexual harassment case.