Actress sexual assault case: Police record statements of actor Dileep, director Nadirshah

Kochi: Police have recorded detailed statements of popular Malayalam actor Dileep and his friend and director Nadirshah in the case of abduction and assault of a South Indian actress. The statement was recorded after they were summoned at the Aluva Police Club yesterday by a team of officials headed by ADGP B Sandhya. The over 12 hour long procedure, began at 12.30 pm yesterday, concluded at 1.05 am today. "All issues related to the case were discussed", Dileep said after emerging from the Police Club. Police said they will be summoned again if necessary. A senior police officer said it was done for not giving a clean chit to anyone. "The statements were recorded as part of the investigation", said the officer, who is part of the investigation team. Dileep said police recorded his detailed statementon his complaint on April 20 alleging blackmail by a man, who claimed to be a friend of the prime accused in the case of abduction and assault of a South Indian actress. "I am very confident", Dileep said. The investigation is progressing very well", the actor said, adding it was his need to see that the truth was revealed in the case. Dileep said he would attend the crucial general body meeting of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, in which the issue is expected to be discussed. Besides Dileep and Nadirshah, police also recorded the statement of the actor's manager, who had received a purported threat call from the prime accused 'Pulsar Suni'. Before heading to the police club at nearby Aluva yesterday, Dileep had alleged that some people were making efforts to make him an accused in the case. "That is not going to happen," he had said. Dileep had also said he does not have time to sit for "media trial by some persons". "I will tell the police and in the court whatever I want to say (in the case)," he had said. The actor had earlier said he filed the complaint with the Director General of Police that day along with evidence of blackmailing, allegedly with the knowledge of 'Pulsar' Suni. Nadirshah had on June 24 said that a man named Vishnu, claiming to be Suni's friend, had called him seeking a huge amount from the actor. He had said that Vishnu, who claimed to have shared a cell with Suni in jail, told him that some people in the Malayalam film world had offered money to Suni if he stated during questioning that Dileep was a conspirator in the case. Nadirshah had also claimed Vishnu had offered to give him money for helping to trap Dileep in the case. Six persons, including 'Pulsar' Suni, Martin and Vigeesh have been arrested in connection with the incident. The actress, who has worked in Tamil and Telugu films, was abducted and allegedly molested inside her car for two hours by the accused, who had forced their way into the vehicle on February 17 night and later escaped in a busy area in Kochi.