The key accused in the actor molestation case in Kochi was detained, along with his accomplice, amid high drama at a local court in Ernakulam on Thursday.
Sunil Kumar aka Pulsar Suni, the main accused, and V P Vigeesh arrived at the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court to surrender around 1.10 pm.
The police entered the courtroom, detained the accused and took them to the Aluva Police Club for interrogation. Their arrest was recorded later.
With Sunil and Vigeesh’s arrest, all six accused are in custody. The 30-year-old actor was molested in a moving car in Kochi on Friday night while she was returning from Thrissur after a film shoot.
The action took place in the court during lunch break and as the accused resisted detention, lawyers too cautioned the police against legal implications of their action.
Later, the ACJM turned down a petition by the lawyers in this connection. The ACJM said since no crime was pending against the accused before the court, a direction to produce them again was unnecessary.The police, however, was directed to hand over the accused to the investigating officer and produce them before the jurisdictional court.
Significant turn
The arrest has marked a significant turn in the case, which has revived discussions around women’s safety and the presence of criminals in the Malayalam film industry.
It also led to criticism of the police for detaining the accused who were about to
surrender.
