A retired DGP, Sreelekha claimed in a YouTube video that the Malayalam actor was innocent in an abduction and rape case filed by an actress.
Published Jul 11, 2022 | 4:07 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 25, 2022 | 11:38 AM
A retired DGP, Sreelekha claimed in a recent video that actor Dileep was innocent in an abduction and rape case filed by an actress. (South First)
A day after former Kerala DGP R Sreelekha courted controversy by claiming that actor Dileep was innocent in the sensational abduction and rape case involving an actress, and that the evidence against him was fabricated, the Special Investigation Team of the state’s Crime Branch has sought the government’s permission to initiate contempt-of-court proceedings against her.
According to highly placed sources in the Crime Branch, Srilekha — the first lady IPS officer from Kerala — is in contempt of court for commenting on the merits of a criminal case that is under trial.
Moreover, her comments absolving the actor have come at a time when a high court-ordered investigation on the alleged conspiracy behind the 2017 abduction and rape is in its final phase.
Officials who investigated the case alleged that the retired IPS officer made the “baseless” and “unreasonable” comments to weaken the prosecution’s arguments in the case and to protect the highly influential actor.
The Home Department has forwarded the request to initiate contempt-of-court proceedings to the Chief Minister’s Office.
Once it is approved, the investigation team will approach the special court in Ernakulam where the trial is being conducted.
The team is also planning to meet Sreelekha and record her statement on the issue.
Contacted by South First, Sreelekha said she had nothing more to say about the case, and that she had already shared everything she knew about it on her YouTube channel.
She said she was ready to face any contempt-of-court proceedings, and would give her statement if the police approached her.
She, however, said she would not appear as a witness for the defence in the trial.
On Sunday, 10 July, Sreelekha posted a lengthy video on her YouTube channel Sasneham Sreelekha, which usually carries recollections of her professional experiences.
In the video, Sreelekha said she believed Dileep was “100 percent innocent” in the case, and that he did not even have indirect involvement in the conspiracy.
According to her, the police arrested the Malayalam superstar under pressure, and now the investigators are groping in the dark without evidence.
She said a photo showing Dileep and Pulsar Suni — the main accused in the case — at a film shoot was faked by the police.
Claiming that Suni had a history of similar crimes, Sreelekha said some other actresses had also told her about torture, harassment, and blackmailing by him.
Those actresses refused to file complaints fearing that it might wreck their careers, Sreelekha said.
Here is her video:
Former Kerala High Court judge Kamal Pasha told South First that contempt-of-court action must be initiated immediately against Sreelekha as she tried to influence an ongoing trial despite having no standing in the case.
“As per my knowledge, Sreelekha was the DGP in charge of jails when Dileep was arrested in connection with the case. She has never been part of the investigation in the case. She never supervised the investigation,” he explained.
“Despite all this, she has made such scandalous remarks at this stage with ulterior motives. The police have to investigate the merits of her claims,” he said.
VD Satheesan, Opposition leader in the Kerala Assembly, said the police must investigate why Sreelekha kept all her misgivings to herself for so long, and why she was revealing them only now.
“There is no clarity on her intention. In all probability, the comments were aimed at weakening the case. Her motives have to be investigated,” said Satheesan, who till recently was a practising high-court lawyer.
Deedi Damodaran, spokesperson of Kerala’s Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), has alleged that Sreelekha’s statement was made at the behest of Dileep, whom the retired police officer had earlier referred to as her favourite actor.
The survivor is Sreelekha’s sole target, alleged Deedi, who has also sought the intervention of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to ensure justice for the survivor.
