Vijayan rejects actor Dileep’s ‘conspiracy’ allegation, backs survivor in actress assault case

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan rejected Dileep’s claims of a police conspiracy in the 2017 actress assault case, affirming investigators acted on evidence and reiterating government support for the survivor, following Dileep’s acquittal by Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court

Kannur: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday rejected actor Dileep’s allegations against some police officials in the actress sexual assault case and said the investigators had acted based on the evidence before them.

He also extended the government’s support for the survivor, a multi-lingual cinema professional who was allegedly assaulted by a group of men in 2017.

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Vijayan also denied Dileep’s claim that he had filed a complaint with the CM about an alleged conspiracy to implicate him in the case.

While addressing reporters here, Vijayan said the actor was saying all these things now to justify certain things on his part.

“I don’t remember him submitting any representation like that. He himself should clarify it. The investigators had taken the action based on the evidence they received. That cannot be viewed as a conspiracy against anyone,” the CM said.

When reporters asked more about the judgement and the prosecution, Vijayan said he cannot comment anything further without knowing the details of the verdict.

“But, I would like to make a thing clear beyond doubt, that the government has always adopted a stand supporting the survivor. We will continue the same in future also,” Vijayan asserted.

The CM’s remarks came a day after the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court acquitted Dileep in the sensational case.

The court, however, found six others, including prime accused Sunil N S alias Pulsar Suni, guilty. He had allegedly directly committed the crime. Apart from Dileep, the court acquitted three others in the case.

Shortly after he was acquitted in the case, Dileep on Monday alleged that there was a “real conspiracy” in the case to make him an accused in the case with an eye on destroying his career.

Without naming anyone, he claimed a top woman police officer and a group of “criminal police” chosen by her to probe the case had acted against him.

Dileep accused them of fabricating a false story against him with the support of the prime accused in the case and his co-inmate in the jail.

The verdict was pronounced by Ernakulam Principal Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese, who had concluded the hearing in the lengthy trial on November 25.

The government has said that it would appeal against the lower court verdict.