A despicable revenge plot

The sensational arrest of popular Malayalam filmstar Dileep in the actress assault-molestation case on criminal conspiracy charges is further proof of how vulnerable even prominent women are. While the actor should be regarded as innocent until proven guilty, it appears the Kerala police acted like clever movie sleuths to gather information and ferret out the conspiracy involving Dileep as the possible main perpetrator of a terrible crime. The glamorous film world is also known for its backroom intrigues, but nothing could have prepared even diehard movie buffs to accept such a plot, where a star plots revenge against a colleague in a despicable manner.

It’s a sad reflection on our society that even the most successful people should hanker for ignoble concepts like vengeance. Further, it’s possible to conclude that if a man were guilty of interfering in a woman’s personal life, he may have only drawn the woman’s wrath, but never faced a fate like this — worse than death. The police seems to have done well to place a snitch in the jail cell of the culprit, who may have carried out the act at the behest of someone else. The ability of the accused to act innocent in a matter in which he was at least linked, as the circumstantial evidence points out so graphically, may be a feather to his cap as a professional actor. The Kerala police was persistent in going after the hard truth of the conspiracy behind a crime. That it did so despite the suspect’s stature and popularity and the Kerala chief minister ruling out the conspiracy angle is something that should be lauded.