Kerala actress abduction case: Film director's statement to be recorded

Kerala Police, probing the actress abduction case, has asked film director Balachandra to record his statement.

The police probe team served a notice to Kumar to appear before the magistrate, here on January 12.

Last week, Kumar revealed that soon after hugely popular actor Dileep was released on bail in the case, he saw the visuals of the assault on the actress in the car.

Kumar also claimed that the visuals were handed over to the actor by an VIP and he was privy to all this.

Till now, only the trial court has seen the said visuals.

Soon after Kumar's disclosure became public, the Kerala government on Wednesday filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking six more months to complete the trial in the case.

The apex court had in September granted time till February 16, 2022 to complete the trial, the third time the top court granted extension.

The actress was abducted and assaulted in a moving car in Kochi on February 17, 2017, and Dileep was arrested in July 2017 in connection with the case. He spent several weeks in jail before securing bail.

He has been named as a conspirator in the case, being charged with "revenge crime".