Vijay Babu's arrest recorded in rape case

Kochi: Malayalam movie producer and actor Vijay Babu, facing a probe in the case of alleged rape of an actress in Kerala, was on Monday arrested by the Kochi city police investigating the matter, police said.

Babu had secured anticipatory bail in the case from the Kerala High Court on June 22.

Police said Babu's arrest was recorded and he would be released as per the conditions set by the high court.

While granting bail to Babu, the high court had said he shall be released on bail on his executing a bond of Rs 5 lakh along with two sureties of the same amount.

During the period from June 27 to July 3, he shall be deemed to be under the custody of police "for facilitating the requirements of investigation", the court had said, allowing his plea seeking anticipatory bail in the rape case.

Police said Babu would be taken to the spots where the alleged crime was committed by him for gathering evidence during this period.

The woman, who appeared in movies produced by Babu's production house, lodged a complaint with the police on April 22 and detailed through a Facebook post the physical assault and sexual exploitation she had allegedly suffered at the hands of the producer-actor for the past one-and-half months.

The woman's lawyer, opposing Babu's plea, had argued before the court that the actor-producer had allegedly "misused and abused the trust reposed on him by her." It was also argued on her behalf that being a novice artist, her objections were easily subdued and that she was allegedly subjected to repeated sexual assaults by him.

Babu had claimed that he was innocent and was "highly aggrieved" by the one-sided approach of the authorities to make him a "scapegoat for the purpose of news and the media."