During the interrogation, On Sunday, 3 accused who have been arrested for the abduction and sexual assault of an actress revealed that a seven-member gang had conspired a month ago to blackmail and extort money from her.
Ernakulam (Rural) district police chief A.V. George said that the interrogation revealed that a conspiracy was hatched to blackmail the actor and extort money. We cannot share further details now.
The investigation team arrested the actor’s driver Martin Antony on Saturday, picked up ‘Vadival’ Salim, a native of Alappuzha, and Pradeep, a native of Kannur, from their hideout in Coimbatore on Sunday by tracing their mobile phones.
The duo, former roommates of the gang leader ‘Pulsar’ Suni, told the investigation team that the latter had planned to extort Rs 30 lakh from the actor using videos of the molestation bid and offered money to them for their help.
As per the police sources that they said Suni had asked them to join the gang from Kalamassery on 17th February. They were offered money, but were not paid by Suni after the incident.
The driver – Antony, 24, told police that Suni offered him a due share for cooperating with the abduction. The driver Martin Antony was remanded to 14-day judicial custody by the Kalamassery Magistrate on Sunday evening.
The incident took place on Friday night when the actress was travelling to Kochi from her house in Thrissur. The gang followed her in a tempo traveller and hit her vehicle from behind. They forcefully entered her car and assaulted her inside the moving vehicle over the next three hours. They clicked her semi-nude pictures and recorded videos as the car was driven around Kochi. Finally, the attackers left her in the car near Padamughal and escaped in the tempo that was trailing behind.
The gang members clicked her semi-nude pictures and recorded videos as the car was driven around Kochi. After three hours, the attackers left her in the car near Padamughal and escaped in the tempo that was trailing behind.
The police has registered an FIR with IPC sections 376 (rape), 365 (kidnap), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) 341 (wrongful restraint) 506 (criminal intimidation) and provisions under the IT Act.
