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Kerala News

The New Indian Express News

Kerala / The New Indian Express

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Police conspiracy claim resonated in courts observations

KOCHI: Soon after his acquittal in the 2017 actor abduction and sexual assault case, actor Dileep alleged that he was falsely implicated as part of a larger conspiracy involving senior police officers, an argument that found resonance in the trial courts observations on lapses in investigation. The verdict raised questions on the absence of Dinendra Kashyap, then inspector general of police (crimes) and head of the special investigation team (SIT), during Dileeps interrogation. Interestingly, the then additional director general of police (ADGP) B Sandhya, the teams supervisory officer, was present. Dileeps counsel submitted that at the time of his arrest, there was no incriminating material against him and that the arrest was the outcome of a conspiracy involving investigating officer Byju Paulose and Sandhya. The court noted that though Kashyap was the SIT chief, Byju admitted that he was not present when Dileep was interrogated. Byju also confirmed Sandhyas presence. Referring to a letter issued by then state police chief T P Senkumar on June 27, 2017, the court pointed out that the SIT head was not fully aware of the developments. The letter stressed that the team leader must be informed of field-level developments, the evidentiary value of materials collected, and the future course of action, warning that failure to do so could lead to unnecessary controversy. It underscored that suspicion cannot substitute evidence. The court observed that records showed the SIT chief continued to remain absent during the interrogation even after the issuance of the letter. The reason for the absence of the head of the SIT has not been explained by the prosecution, the court said.

15 Dec 2025 8:09 am