The Kerala High Court on Monday, May 23, ordered Vijay Babu to first produce his air ticket, before it could consider his anticipatory bail petition. The actor has been on the run after being accused of rape. Advocate S Rajeev, who appeared for Vijay Babu, informed the court that he was ready to appear before it. Refusing to accept his statement, the court questioned if he was “even in India”. Stating that he was abroad when the case was registered, he said Vijay Babu was ready to come back. However, before considering giving him bail, Justice P Gopinath, who was hearing the plea, asked him to produce his air ticket, following which his petition shall be considered.
Vijay Babu’s passport was impounded on May 20, after he fled the country following the rape complaint against him. A lookout notice has also been issued against the actor. A woman actor filed a complaint against him for allegedly raping her when she sought opportunities to act. However, on the night of April 26, Vijay Babu went live on Facebook and broke the law, by naming the woman actor who filed the case. A friend of Vijay had allegedly called a friend of the survivor actor with an offer of Rs 1 crore to withdraw the case, which the actor had then informed the police.
Meanwhile, Kochi city Police Commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam said that a red-corner notice would be issued against him if he fails to appear before the investigating team before May 24. "There is an indication that he has moved to another country from Dubai. We are trying to confirm it. Information on his movement will be provided to the destination country through the Indian embassy," he said.
A red corner notice is issued as a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action, according to Interpol. Earlier on May 5, a 'blue corner' notice —- which is issued to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a crime, was issued against Vijay Babu.
Based on the survivor actor’s complaint at the Ernakulam City Commissioner's office, Vijay Babu was booked under sections 376 (sexual assault), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).