Kerala HC Dismisses Dileep's Plea To Quash FIR in Murder Conspiracy Case

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea filed by Malayalam film actor Dileep seeking to quash the FIR registered by Kerala Police Crime Branch accusing him and five others of conspiring to kill the investigating officers assigned to probe the 2017 rape case in which he is a prime accused.

Kerala High Court judge Ziyad Rahman AA heard the matter in detail over a period of three days before reserving his verdict on March 31.

In 2017, Dileep allegedly conspired and directed the abduction and rape of a popular actress. Five years later, in 2022 film director Balachandrakumar released audio recordings of people, including one who is purported to be Dileep, where attempts to sabotage the 2017 case were being discussed. Balachandrakumar deposed before the trial court about Dileep's alleged plans to conspire and kill the investigating officials.

The Kerala Police booked Dileep and others under Sections 116 (abetment), 118 (concealing design to commit offence), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) r/w Section 34 (common intention) of IPC.

On February 7, the high court granted Dileep and two others anticipatory bail in this case.

Dileep sought to quash the new FIR against him on the grounds that he was being falsely framed by the investigating officers in an act of personal vendetta.

The Kerala Police argued that Dileep allegedly made statements where his mere threat to harm the investigating officials indicated his intent and were a "manifestation" of their agreement to kill. Mere agreement to commit a criminal act and reasonable suspicion of the committal of an offence was enough to charge an accused in this case, the state argued.