Kochi, May 16 (IANS): Actor Dileep, a key accused in the 2017 actress abduction case, suffered a jolt on Monday night as the police probe team arrested his close aide, hotelier Sarath, on charges of for destroying evidence in the case.

Sarath was called in for questioning and subsequently arrested and according to sources in the know of things, is expected to be given bail by the police and released soon.

Incidentally this is the first arrest made by the police after a further investigation in the case was announced.

The new probe began after Dileep's former friend and director Balachandrakumar came out in the open against him, claiming Dileep said that he would eliminate police officials who had investigated the case.

It was Balachandrakumar only who gave crucial evidence on the role of Sarath in the 2017 actress abduction case.

Balachandrakumar was also called in by the probe team on Monday.

The police probe team also was all along suspecting that it was Sarath who had given the visuals of the actress being harassed while being abducted in a car and Balachandrakumar was the one who had given a statement to this respect.

The arrest of Sarath came close on the heels of the grilling of Dileep's wife Kavya Madhavan for close to five hours at their house last week.

Dileep was in jail for several weeks in the case and later got bail.

A leading south Indian actress - who subsequently identified herself - had complained that she had been abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of goons in 2017 and filmed the assault to blackmail her.

After main accused Sunil 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.