The Kerala government has informed the Supreme Court that actor Dileep is allegedly attempting to disrupt the trial process in the 2017 actor abduction and sexual assault case and trying to weaken the prosecution’s evidence.

In an affidavit submitted to the apex court in the plea seeking bail filed by the first accused in the actress sexual assault case, Pulsar Suni, the state government has claimed that Dileep is engaged in efforts to undermine the prosecution’s evidence and extend the trial indefinitely.

In the affidavit opposing the bail application filed by Pulsar Suni, the state government has alleged that Dileep and his lawyers have delayed the trial by taking months to cross-examine officials involved in the case, spending 87 days over a span of 7 months to examine Baiju Poulose, the lead investigator in the case.

Suni had approached the court citing health issues and the fact that he has been an undertrial for six years.

While the prosecution and counsels of other accused finished cross examination of the survivor in 3 days, Dileep took seven days. Dileep’s lawyers took 35 and a half days to cross-examine director Balachandrakumar, who was close to Dileep, and then turned whistleblower. Sai Shankar, who was allegedly employed by Dileep to destroy material on his phone and later turned an approver in the case, was questioned for 10 days.

The affidavit further asserts that if Pulsar Suni is granted bail, there is a risk that he might make public sensitive visual evidence, potentially threatening the survivor’s privacy and undermining the trial.

The state government has also said that if Pulsar Suni is granted bail, he could possibly hamper the trial or abscond the legal process.

“It is quite definite that such a person will make all efforts possible to torpedo the trial process either by absconding from the legal process or by threatening the privacy of victim by publishing the visuals of sexual assault on victim. If the accused is released on bail, that will cause serious prejudice especially when the trial is nearing to conclude shortly,” it added.

A noted Malayalam actress was abducted and allegedly molested in her car for two hours by some persons who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017 and later escaped in a busy area. The entire act was filmed by those persons to blackmail the actress.