MANIKANDAN Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is arrayed as the third accused in Crime No.297 of 2017 of Nedumbassery Police Station for offences punishable under sections 342, 366, 376, 506(i), 120B and 212 r/w section 34 of Indian Penal Code and sections 66E, 67(a) of IT Act, 2008.

(2.) The allegation of the prosecution is that, the petitioner herein along with five other accused, hatched a criminal conspiracy to kidnap a famous film actress, wrongfully confine her and to record her nude photograph. In furtherance of that conspiracy, on 17.02.2017, when the victim was proceeding in her vehicle along the National Highway, after stage managing a fake accident, the petitioner herein, along with few others, forcefully entered the vehicle, confined her and took her to Cochin. On the way, the first accused entered the vehicle and he sexually abused her. It was videographed by him in a mobile. It appears that, the petitioner herein had taken the control of the victim's vehicle from the first accused, at the time of molestation of the victim. Crime was registered, pursuant to complaint of the victim.

(3.) The petitioner herein was arrested on 21.02.2017 and is in custody since then. He moved the learned Magistrate Court as well as this court on several occasions, seeking bail. All his bail applications were consistently dismissed by the courts.