Kochi city police arrested the trio on Thursday following a complaint by the 41-year-old doctor, who works at a leading multispeciality hospital in the city. (File Photo)Two emerging actors in the Malayalam film industry have been arrested in Kochi for allegedly assaulting and robbing a doctor after luring him to a flat on the pretext of an emergency medical call. The case took a twist on Friday, however, when police registered a rape case against the doctor following a complaint by a relative of one of the arrested actors.The arrested accused are actors Athulya Chandra (32) and Bibin Perumbally (43), and the latter’s driver, K B Vishnu (31), who has eight criminal cases against him, police said.Kochi city police arrested the trio on Thursday following a complaint by the 41-year-old doctor, who works at a leading multispeciality hospital in the city. They were booked for wrongful confinement, assault, criminal intimidation and robbery.Police sources said the full picture was yet to emerge, as the two cases were connected. “Preliminary evidence suggests that this was not a robbery but a calculated extortion attempt, in which the doctor was allegedly lured before being assaulted and stripped of his valuables. We are searching for nine others involved in the assault, which was allegedly planned by Athulya,” an officer said.According to police, the incident took place on the night of November 2, when Athulya called the doctor, claiming that one of her close relatives was unwell and needed urgent medical attention.“The doctor, who was familiar with actor Athulya, rushed to an apartment used to accommodate members of the film industry. On reaching the flat, he was tied to a chair, threatened and assaulted by the trio. They also robbed him of digital devices worth Rs 3.25 lakh,” police said, quoting the FIR.The doctor lodged a complaint two days later, saying he had been afraid of the gang, which had allegedly threatened him with dire consequences if he disclosed the incident. The three accused have been remanded in judicial custody. Police will seek their custody for further investigation.Story continues below this adPolice sources said Athulya allegedly plotted the crime because she knew that her relative was close to the doctor. She allegedly intended to extort money from him through blackmail and had also accessed digital evidence that could serve as proof of their relationship.The case took another turn on Friday when Athulya’s relative, a woman in her early 50s, approached the police alleging that the doctor had sexually assaulted her in a hotel room last month. The doctor is yet to be arrested.Athulya, according to police, is also a law graduate who practised at the Kerala High Court under a prominent criminal lawyer. She made her Malayalam film debut with the 2019 Mammootty-starrer Ganagandharvan, directed by Ramesh Pisharody, who is now a Congress legislator. She subsequently appeared in Tamil and Telugu films.Her breakthrough came with the 2025 Malayalam film Dies Irae, in which she played Tessa. The film also featured actor Pranav Mohanlal, son of superstar Mohanlal.Story continues below this adThe alleged involvement in the Kochi crime comes at a time when Athulya was poised to take up several projects in the South Indian film industry. Bibin Perumbally has been associated with the film industry for more than a decade and has appeared in supporting roles.Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's co... Read More