November 21, 2017
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday permitted Malayalam
superstar Dileep, currently out on bail in a case involving kidnapping and
sexual assault of an actress in February, to travel to Dubai.
The court
directed that the actor's passport, currently with the trial court in Angamaly
near here, be handed over to him for six days so that he can be in Dubai for
four days later this month.
Dileep, who owns a restaurant -- Dhe Puttu --
in Kochi is opening a new outlet in Dubai and sought the court's permission to
be there for the opening ceremony.
The prosecution and the police had
opposed the application on the grounds that he, after coming out on bail, had
been trying to influence crucial witnesses in the case -- a charge denied by
Dileep's counsel.
The court granted him travel permission but asked him
to furnish all the details of his whereabouts once in Dubai and directed that no
attempts should be made to influence the case.
Dileep was arrested on
July 10 after the police found evidence to link him to the conspiracy part of
the kidnap case.
After 85 days in jail, he got conditional bail and has
been on a religious sojourn.
The abduction of the popular actress took
place in February when she was on her way from Thrissur to Kochi.
She was
forcibly driven around in her vehicle for about two hours and allegedly molested
before being dumped near an actor-director's home.
The key accused --
Pulsar Suni and his accomplices involved in the actual abduction -- were
arrested a week later.