Lookout notice against Vijay Babu, raid likely at actor's Kochi home

Kochi: The Kerala Police on Thursday issued a lookout notice against Malayalam film producer and actor Vijay Babu.

The actor had been booked for allegedly sexually assaulting a female actor and disclosing the survivor's identity through a Facebook live session.

The police issued the notice anticipating the actor to take flight and leave the country.

"The complaint seems to be legitimate at the moment. More details can be collected only after questioning Vijay Babu," the police informed Manorama News.

"A lookout notice has been issued against him. Prima facie, the case is proved. There is an exploitative angle in this case," Kochi City Police Commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam said.

There are procedures to bring the accused back home and that is part of the investigation, he said when asked about the procedures to bring Babu back home.

"We will take steps, but gradually, not immediately. At present there was no need to take up the matter to Interpol. If necessary, we will do that," the Commissioner said.

Vijay Babu's Instagram page had earlier shown that he was in Dubai. However, the police informed that this is not conclusive evidence on his location.

The investigation team have been unable trace or contact him after he was booked in the sexual assault case. Officials are hoping to scan airports and other places across the country with the help of the lookout circular.

The police will also raid Vijay Babu's flat in Kochi on Thursday, Manorama News reported.

The actor is likely to move an anticipatory bail plea in court soon.

Babu, had appeared in a Facebook live session and claimed innocence, saying he is the real victim. As the producer, who is also the founder of the production company Friday Film House, disclosed the survivor's name and identity, which is an offence, another case was also slapped on him.

The video was removed following widespread protests.

"A rape case was registered against him first. As he disclosed the victim's identity, another case was also filed. It seems that he is out of station and absconding now," a senior police officer told PTI.

The woman, who appeared in movies produced by Vijay Babu's production house, lodged a complaint with the police on April 22 and detailed through a Facebook post the physical assault and sexual exploitation she had allegedly suffered at the hands of the producer-actor for the past one and half months.

"He behaved like my saviour for my personal and professional problems but under the guise sexually exploited me," the female actor alleged in the FB post. She further alleged that his modus operandi was trapping her with the role of a "saviour cum friend cum lover" and thereafter intoxicating and sexually abusing her several times in the past one and half months. Besides rape and physical assault, he also forced to consume alcohol and 'happy pill,' a drug. She expressed fear over discussing the assault and exploitation to others because of his clout in the film industry. "I got to know that there are several other women who have been subjected to this trap by Vijay Babu.

He has recorded a nude video of mine and threatened me with its consequences and also threatened my life," the victim alleged.

However, Babu, in a Facebook live on Tuesday, denied the charges but admitted that he knew the female actor for the past five years. Besides denying the charges, the producer also said he would file a defamation suit against the complainant for tarnishing his image. He mentioned the name of the survivor several times during the FB live saying that he was doing it deliberately as she was not the victim and he was the real victim in the case.