Kochi: Amid the Kerala police's attempts to seize the mobile phone used by Malayalam actor Dileep, accused of plotting the 2017 actor assault case, he said the gadget has been handed to a cyber expert.

The Crime Branch had issued a notice to the actor asking him to produce his mobile phones.

The officials had claimed Tuesday following their 33-hour questioning of the actor and four of his associates on charges of attempting to harm investigating officers that Dileep had produced new phones and hid the old ones.

Dileep, in his reply to the Crime Branch, said that the phone was given to a private cyber expert to retrieve the messages sent to him by Balachandrakumar, whose recent revelations have led to the registration of the fresh case against the actor. The latest case was registered based on a complaint filed by Baiju Poulose, the investigating officer.

Dileep said he would get a report from the forensic expert in a week and he will produce it before the court, Manorama News reported.

Meanwhile, Dileep said the Crime Branch's notice was illegal. He said all the phones relating to the 2017 case were already produced before the court.

He demanded that the phones of Baiju Poulose and director Balachandakumar should be seized as the interaction between them will prove the conspiracy against him.

The actor has alleged that the Crime Branch seized the gadgets used by his children in a recent raid at his home.

The Kerala High Court will on Thursday consider Dileep's anticipatory bail plea that he filed following the registration of the fresh case. The high court had recently allowed the police to question Dileep for three days. The high court has asked the prosecution to submit a report of the interrogation when it hears the anticipatory bail plea on Thursday.