State of Kerala not to press for framing of charges against Dileep for now

The Supreme Court today adjourned the hearing in the case relating to Malayalam actor Dileep after the State of Kerala informed the Court that it does not wish to press for framing of charges against the actor for the time being..The hearing in the trial is scheduled to take place in the lower court tomorrow. However, the Supreme Court today was informed that the Dileep, as well as the prosecution, will be seeking an adjournment in the case before the trial court..The Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and Ajay Rastogi was hearing an application filed by the actor seeking a stay on the framing of charges, when the counsel representing the State of Kerala informed the court of this “arrangement”..After taking the information on record, the Court adjourned the hearing in the case till May 1, when the main petition pertaining to the memory card as a piece of evidence is listed to be heard..Dileep had allegedly set the wheels of a revenge crime in motion against the victim, also a noted actor in the Kerala film industry. It was alleged that the victim had a role to play in Dileep’s separation from his former wife. Further, Dileep faced allegations of hatching a conspiracy to take revenge on the victim by orchestrating an abduction of the actress and taking nude photographs of her..Six persons were nabbed and arrayed as accused after the female actor was driven around in a car and sexually assaulted, allegedly at Dileep’s behest..Dileep was then arrested on July 10, charged with engaging the first accused to take nude photos of the victim, in exchange for Rs. 1.5 crore. His first two attempts at getting bail were rejected by the Kerala High Court on July 24 and August 29. He was finally granted bail in October last year..The actor then filed a petition before the Supreme Court after his plea to access the memory card that contains video footage of the alleged assault was turned down by the Kerala High Court..The said memory card was not supplied to the accused on the grounds that it is not a “document” under the provisions of the law. The High Court had also stated that the contents of the memory card are too sensitive to be released..Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Dileep, had sought time to prove that a memory card is a “document” under Section 207 CrPC..Image taken from here..Read the order below.