Irked by a public relations offensive meant for boosting the image of Malayalam superstar Dileep, presently in jail under judicial remand for the conspiracy behind the abduction and assault of a leading film actress in February, the Kerala Police have placed the agency behind the campaign under their scanner even as Dileep is expected to approach the High Court for bail on Monday. A lower court in Angamaly near Kochi had rejected Dileep’s bail plea on Saturday.
The cyberspace-based PR offensive against the police team probing the conspiracy behind the attack on the actress and certain TV channels that have been intensely discussing the case is believed to have started three days after Dileep’s arrest on July 10 in Aluva, his hometown near Kochi. The remand of Dileep, 11th accused in the case, is to end on July 25.
Sources said that there definitely was a professional player behind the offensive using social media platforms against the investigating team and certain TV channels and that this was the first time the State police was facing a cyberspace offensive aimed at destroying its morale. They indicated that the agency behind the PR campaign could face legal action.
The police believe that the PR offensive has succeeded in making certain well-known personalities issue statements directly and indirectly supporting Dileep at a time when he was facing criticisms from the media and the film industry for allegedly hiring Sunil Kumar alias Pulsar Suni, first accused in the case, to attack the actress and to take visuals of the torment.
As per reports, a professional agency had taken up the contract for the PR offensive aimed at boosting Dileep’s image and destroying the police’s morale and credibility for crores of rupees. “The campaign has already achieved some success. Some of Dileep’s critics have suddenly become silent and several online portals have stopped discussing the case,” said a police official.
Meanwhile, Dileep is likely to seek bail from the High Court on Monday as he had failed to get it from a court in Angamaly near Kochi, which is presently hearing the case, on Saturday. The Angamaly court had rejected his bail plea by accepting the Prosecution’s argument that Dileep, a highly influential person, could influence the witnesses and try to destroy evidences if released.
Sources said the Prosecution was determined to ensure that Dileep did not get bail from the High Court. They said the Prosecution had built a strong case, supported by solid evidences. “The evidences the Prosecution had cited in the Angamaly court are sufficient to ensure that Dileep doesn’t get bail from the High Court. The there are additional evidences also,” said an official.
The actress was abducted and assaulted by a gang headed by Suni on the night of February 17 last inside a car in which she was travelling to Kochi from Thrissur. They set her free near Kochi early next morning. According to the police, Dileep and Suni had started the conspiracy to attack the actress in Kochi in March, 2013.
Meanwhile, the investigation team has recorded the statements of two persons, said to be eyewitnesses to a meeting between Dileep and Suni at which the conspiracy to attack the actress was hatched later, at the First Class Judicial Magistrate Court in Kalady near Kochi as part of its efforts to make the case against the superstar foolproof.
The two persons were present at the location of Dileep’s yet-to-be-released movie ‘Georgettan’s Pooram’ in Thrissur where he and Suni had allegedly met and discussed in November last the plan to abduct and assault the actress. According to legal experts, the witness statements could prove to be of immense help for the Prosecution when the case comes up in the court.