Kochi, Feb 7 (IANS): The Kerala High Court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to actor Dileep in a case related to the conspiracy to do away with police officers probing the 2017 actress assault case in which he is the prime accused.

After several rounds of hearing, the court granted bail to the actor but directed him and his aides to cooperate with the probe team failing which, the prosecution can seek his arrest.

However, the prosecution has decided to approach the Supreme Court against this verdict.

The other accused in the case are Dileep's brother Anoop, brother-in-law Sooraj, aide Appu alias Krishnadas, and close friend Byju Chengamanad.

Since early this morning, crime branch police officials in civil dress were seen in front Dileep and his brother's residences. Soon after the the court granted him bail, they quietly moved away.

The actor was already facing a trial in connection with the abduction and assault of an actress when in December, his former friend and director Balachandrakumar, revealed that the actor had conspired to do away with the police officials probing the case. Following the disclosure, the crime branch had registered a fresh case against him.

It sought the custodial interrogation of the actor and his aides. But last month, the court asked all of them to present themselves before the probe team for three days.

The team questioned them from morning till evening for three days for 33 hours.

All through the trial in the anticipatory bail plea, the prosecution was determined to get the actor and his aides in custody, which was strongly opposed by the actor' counsel.

Reacting to the court's developments, Balachandrakumar said he is neither happy nor sad and that if the accused is influencial, things might not go the way many people expect.

A frontline south Indian heroine had complained that she had been abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of goons in 2017 and certain scenes were filmed to blackmail her. After the main accused 'Pulsor' Suni was arrested and questioned, Dileep was accused of being the main conspirator in the case and arrested.

According to the prosecution, Dileep, who is presently out on bail after spending two months in jail, had also seen the visuals of the attack on the actress.