Kerala actress assault case involving Dileep stirs political bickering

CPM raises suspicions over assault survivor’s insinuations

The 2017 actress sexual assault case has taken a political turn as the CPM questioned the timing of the allegations of “political intervention”. The assault survivor, a popular south Indian actress, had on Monday moved the Kerala High Court expressing her fear of political pressure on the case-investigating police officials to favour the accused, actor Dileep.

In her petition, the actress had also alleged that Dileep and his lawyers were trying to tamper with the evidence.

Referring to the petition filed on Monday, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that the allegations of political interference to save Dileep had suspicious timing, as the Assembly by-poll for Thrikkakkara constituency is just round the corner.

At a recent election meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, too, had said that allegations of political interventions in any police investigations were baseless.

The CPM leaders’ reactions came after the Congress used the actress’s allegations to accuse the government in its party election campaign.

The sexual assault, that took place in Kochi in 2017, is a matter of significance in the upcoming by-poll, as it was the then Congress MLA from Thrikkakkara constituency, the late P T Thomas, who had played a key role in helping the actress file a complaint.

Meanwhile, one of the judges of the Kerala High Court recused themselves on Tuesday from hearing the actress’s petition. Sources said that the actress had sought a change in the Bench.

The matter is likely to be considered by another Bench.