Malayalam actress abduction case: Congress MLA alleges 'serious lapses' in handling case

Pic Courtesy: Representational Image

Kochi: A senior Congress MLA today alleged "serious lapses" on the part of the Kerala government in handling the case of abduction and harassment of a noted South Indian actress here last week.

Congress MLA from Thrikkakara constituency in the city P T Thomas alleged that the police had not acted effectively to nab prime accused 'Pulser' Suni and his accomplice V P Vigeesh despite having information about their whereabout hours after incident.

Thomas alleged that senior police officers here were not kept in the loop initially by the top brass of police in Kerala, with whom the actress first lodged the complaint.

He said Ernakulam Range IG P Vijayan and City Police Commissioner M P Dinesh came to know about the incident only when he had telephoned them on that "eventful night" of February 17 from the residence of director-actor Lal, where the actress reached after being let off by her abductors.

Thomas said he had reached Lal's residence soon after he was informed about the incident by a film producer.

Addressing a press conference here, Thomas also accused the police of "weakening" the case so as to help the culprits escape punishment. He alleged that the mandatory medical check-up of the actress for gathering evidence of sexual assault was not conducted on time.

"The survivor was taken for mandatory medical examination only hours after the incident," the Congress leader alleged. Thomas also questioned the "silence" of CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat and CPI's Annie Raja, days after the incident which has sparked nationwide outrage.

Meanwhile, police extended the probe to certain film personalities as it started investigating the alleged conspiracy angle in the incident. Police teams have been deployed in many parts of Kerala and also in Tamil Nadu to trace 'Pulsar' Suni and Vigeesh.

Police have taken into custody one of Suni's accomplices, Manikandan, from Palakkad. So far three persons -- Vadival Salim, Pradeep and Martin -- have been arrested in connection with the case.

All three have been remanded in judicial custody by a magistrate court in Aluva, police said. The actress was allegedly harassed inside her car for two hours?by the accused, who had forced their way into the vehicle and later escaped in a busy area in Kochi.