Malayalam actress assault case: Dileep accuses Manju Warrier of conspiracy in second bail application

Popular Malayalam actor Dileep, arrested in connection with a case of plotting the abduction and sexual assault of a noted South Indian actress in February, moved the Kerala High Court seeking bail on 10 August. It has now emerged that in this second bail application, Dileep accused his ex-wife Manju Warrier for conspiring against him, reports The News Minute. [caption id=“attachment_3925965” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Dileep and Manju Warrier. Images from Facebook[/caption] “It is pertinent to point out that ADGP Sandhya is understood to be a person very close to the Malayalam cine actress (Manju Warrier) who, at the very initial stage of the investigation openly made a statement that there is a conspiracy in the case as if she had direct knowledge about it. The actress had come out in public against her close association with ADGP Sandhya,” read the bail application. The Malayalam actress in question is close to Manju Warrier. Many members of the Malayalam film fraternity gathered at Durbar Hall for a meeting held to express solidarity with the victim, and Warrier said that a conspiracy had been hatched against the actress. Notably, in a previous report to the court , the police had stated that Dileep hatched the conspiracy against the actress because he wanted to exact ‘revenge’ from her, as he held her responsible for the failure of his first marriage to Manju Warrier. Along with the allegation against his ex-wife, Dileep has also made accusations against filmmaker VA Shrikumar Menon and producer Liberty Basheer, as well as investigating officer ADGP Sandhya. He has alleged that Sandhya turned the cameras off during his questioning when he spoke about Warrier and Menon. The actor in his second plea submitted on 10 August said that the scenario has completely changed and that he is not the kingpin of any criminal conspiracy or even a participant therein. On 11 August, the Kerala High Court adjourned to 18 August the hearing on this plea. The court had dismissed his first bail application on 24 July after finding that the investigation in the case was progressing and the mobile phone, stated by the prosecution as a key evidence in the case, had not been recovered. Dileep, charged under various sections of the IPC, including for hatching criminal conspiracy for abduction and assault of the actress in a moving car on 17 February, is currently lodged in a jail in his home town Aluva. He was arrested on 10 July and since then, he is in custody. The Malayalam actress was abducted and allegedly molested inside her car for two hours by the accused on 17 February. They had forced their way into the vehicle and later escaped in a busy area in Kochi. With inputs from agencies