Prominent Kochi doctor Johnson K Varghese has approached the Ernakulam Sessions Court seeking anticipatory bail, claiming that the rape complaint against him was fabricated as part of a Rs 3 crore extortion conspiracy.
Actors Athulya Chandran and Bibin Perumpally, who were earlier arrested in connection with the doctor’s assault case were produced before the Kochi magistrate court on Monday. In his bail petition, he maintains that the complainant was a long-time patient with whom he shared a close friendship. READ | Twist In Kochi Assault Case, Doctor Who Was Thrashed Charged With Rape In a counterclaim, Varghese has accused an actor, who is a relative of the complainant, of luring him to a flat in Kochi’s Kadavanthra area on the pretext of providing emergency medical assistance. Varghese maintains that the sexual assault complaint was filed in retaliation after he refused to pay the money and initiated legal action against the group. His counterclaims remain unverified, and the court is expected to consider his anticipatory bail application in the coming days. The district magistrate court granted two days of police custody for them.
The doctor, who has been evading arrest, has denied sexually assaulting a 50-year-old woman at a hotel near Kochi’s Infopark on October 10. The actor and 12 of her associates were waiting at the flat, where they tied him up, physically assaulted him, stripped him naked and recorded compromising visuals, according to the petition. READ | Videos Of Women Found On Doctor’s Phone Who Accused Kerala Actor Of Assault The doctor claims the group demanded Rs 3 crore, threatening to release the visuals if he failed to pay. READ | Actors Lure Doctor To Kochi Home, Thrash Him, Steal Phone, Watch Worth Rs 3.5 Lakh The Infopark police have registered a sexual assault case against the doctor based on the woman’s complaint.
