Kochi doctor arrested; police find sexual content on his phones amid assault allegations
Police in Kochi have issued a lookout circular for Dr. Johnson Varghese after finding videos and photos of women on his phones, while he claims he was assaulted by two Malayalam actors who later faced bail denial.
Kochi police have ordered a lookout circular for 41-year-old Dr. Johnson Varghese, who is already booked in a rape case and has been missing since the filing on Friday. An examination of his two mobile phones, handed over by a 50-year-old complainant, uncovered videos and photographs showing intimate moments with several women, according to a police statement cited by PTI.
The complainant alleges that Varghese sexually assaulted her and recorded the incident, and that two actors, Chandran and Perumpally, lured him to an apartment to delete the recordings. Police said the digital evidence will be further investigated and that additional cases could be filed if other women depicted in the material approach authorities.
The same police report noted that Chandran, Perumpally and their associate Vishnu were arrested after Varghese lodged a complaint alleging they assaulted him and stole his phones, smartwatch and earphones, valued at about ₹3.25 million. The actors, known for roles in Malayalam films, denied the accusations.
On Saturday, the Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court rejected bail applications from the three arrested individuals, including the two actors. The public prosecutor argued that the investigation was in its early stages and that the accused needed to remain in custody for further interrogation, noting that eight more people had been apprehended and that key evidence was still pending.
Defence counsel for the actors countered that Varghese, already facing a rape charge, had made false allegations against them. The magistrate upheld the bail denial, and the three are expected to seek bail from the District Sessions Court.