After five months of intense drama and suspense, Kerala Police on Monday arrested Malyalam actor Dileep n connection with the alleged abduction and rape of a popular south Indian actor in Kochi.

The woman actor who was returning after a shooting assignment was abducted and sexually assaulted on a moving car by a criminal gang on Feb 17. They let her go after three-hour ordeal and threatened to release the video if she approached the police.

During the attack the main accused Pulsar Suni had told the victim that he was given a quotation (like a supari crime) and he was forced to do this. However the gutsy actor complained and the police arrested all accused directly involved in the crime. But there were strong speculations that they carried out the ‘dirty job’ at the behest of someone.

tate police chief Loknath Behra confirmed the arrest of Dileep. He said the police have got clinching evidence to prove the involvement of the actor. Two weeks back the SIT probing the case had questioned the actor for more than 13 hours. His director friend Nadirsha and manager Appunni will also be arrested.

Last month, Dileep’s name surfaced in a jail inmate’s letter who shared the cell with Suni. Since then, Dileep has been facing a lot of heat. While Suni and his accomplices were arrested within a week of the kidnapping, police stumbled upon the conspiracy angle last week.

“The entire conspiracy was hatched almost a year back. The actor’s phone calls with some of the accused really nailed him. Preliminary investigation shows personal enmity behind the entire incident,” said a senior police officer adding that actor will be produced before a magistrate later in the night.

The case took a new turn two weeks back after Dileep filed a police complaint alleging that one of the jail inmates of the main accused (Pular Suni) Vishnu had threatened to cough up Rs 1.50 crore immediately or else he would reveal his role in the conspiracy. Mobile phone was smuggled inside the jail by one of the friends of the main accused.

The SIT had secured details of phone calls Suni made from the jail. He reportedly called Nadirshah at least thrice and one of the calls lasted more than eight minutes. Suni made another call to Dileep’s manager Appunni. Later the police found that the audio record of the phone call submitted by Dileep was heavily edited.

The SIT later recovered a two-minute video clip showing the brutal sexual assault on the victim. Later DNA examination of sperm marks on the dress the actor confirmed the involvement of the main accused. Later SIT also raided Kavya Madhavan’s (Dileep’s second wife) house and cloth outlet in Kochi.

According to police sources Suni, a hardcore criminal involved in more than 20 cases, refused to cave in after intense questioning. Later the police reportedly sent another criminal to his cell as his cellmate and he became pally with him and divulged details of the larger conspiracy behind the crime. Later the police pieced together evidences and revealed the plot with a filmy touch.

A timeline of the abduction and rape case:

Feb 17: A south Indian actor abducted, molested and photographed in a moving car near Kochi. She was let off after three-hour ordeal and assailants threatened to make video public if she approached police
Feb 18: The gutsy actor files a complaint. Driver of the car Martin arrested. SIT formed
Feb 24: Main accused Sunil Kumar alias Pulsar Suni and his accomplice Vijesh arrested while planning surrender
Feb 26: No conspiracy in attack, says CM Pinarayi Vijayan. Big hue and cry alleging sabotage of the probe. No headway in probe.
April 16: Actor Dileep and friend Nadirshah approach police complaining blackmail threats. Police sat over their plaint.
June 20: Suni’s letter to actor Dileep asking for money and audio of blackmail call from jail surface
June 28: Police grill Dileep, his manager Appunni and Nadirshah for 13 hours. Police say no clean chit to Dileep.
June 30: Police raid Dileep’s wife Kavya Madhavan’s online apparel store in Kochi.
July 1: Photos of Pular Suni with Dileep surfaces. Dileep earlier claimed he never met him and has no connection with him.
July 2: DGP Loknath Behra expresses concern over delay and asks the SIT to speed up probe
July 11: Actor Dileep and friend Nadirshah arrested