KERALA ACTOR MOLESTATION CASE PRIME ACCUSED HELD

In a major breakthrough in the assault and abduction of a popular south Indian actor, Kerala police on Thursday arrested the main accused, Sunil alias Pulsar Suni in Kochi. He and his accomplice Vijesh, who were on the run for the last six days, were arrested while they were trying to sneak into the chamber of a judge to surrender.

“With the arrest of all accused we hope we can crack the case now,” state DGP Loknath Behra said. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has lauded the special investigation team but opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said an arrest from a court was not a big achievement for police.

There was heavy police presence in the court but both the men had managed to breach it and reached the chamber of the chief judicial magistrate. But since the CJM was out for lunch they hovered near the chamber. This raised the suspicion of some policemen who overpowered them, sources in the court said.

Later lawyers made a complaint to the magistrate saying both were taken into custody from the chamber. Following this, the CJM court asked the police to produce them in the court concerned within 24 hours.

The actor had been taken hostage on the way from Thrissur to Kochi on Friday night and assaulted by a seven-member gang for more than two hours in the moving her. They also took pictures and videos to blackmail her before letting her go.

Police suspect the gangsters belonged to the “quotation mafia” — a gang of contract

CONTINUED ON P 5