The Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to actor-producer Vijay Babu in a rape case filed by an actor.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas while passing the order directed the actor to surrender before the investigating officer on June 27 at 9 am for interrogation.
The court made it clear that the actor can be interrogated for the next seven days from June 27 till July 3 from 9 am to 6 pm every day if required.
The court also said that the petitioner shall deem to be under custody during the period for facilitating the requirements of the investigation. If the investigating officer intended to arrest the petitioner, then he should be released on bail on his executing a bond for ₹5 lakh.
The other conditions for the anticipatory bail are; that the petitioner should appear before the investigating officer as and when called for. He should not contact or interact with the victim or any of the witnesses. He should not indulge in any form of attack through social media against the victim or her family and shall not leave Kerala without prior permission of the court.
The petitioner contended the attempt of the victim was to blackmail the petitioner by filing a complaint that he had forcefully sexually assaulted her. According to the actor, the complainant used to call him at odd hours and send messages frequently on his mobile phone. She regularly kept the relationship with him alive in order to get more chances in the film industry. He said that there was no forceful sexual abuse from his side.
