Popular Malayalam actor-producer Vijay Babu has been on the run for a while after being booked under the charges of rape. In contradiction to what his counsel has divulged in the court, the actor is yet to reach India even as he tries to secure an anticipatory bail to evade the arrest in the case. 

Vijay Babu has been accused of raping a female actor. The Kerala police had filed a rape case against him on April 22 based on the complaint from the female actor. However, while the police launched the search, Babu had fled the country after the case is filed against him and he has been absconding since then. The high profile case has been spurring tensions across the state with several activists demanding action against him. 

According to reports, Vijay Babu's counsel had earlier affirmed to the court, while seeking anticipatory bail, that the actor will return to India on Monday - May 30. However, he is yet to return and appear before the court. It has been reported that Vijay Babu could arrive in India on Wednesday - June 1. Earlier, the actor had moved his petition seeking anticipatory bail during which the court said that the bail would be granted only if he produces air tickets for his return to India.

Based on the court's directive, Vijay Babu's lawyers had submitted his plane tickets to the court on May 24. The tickets had shown his date of return as May 30. After the disclosure, the court had agreed to hear his petition, but, there were no developments on his arrival on May 30. In his representation to the court, the actor has alleged that the survivor filed the complaint to blackmail him. 

He further claimed that his relationship with the female actor was consensual and that the dispute between them had begun after he decided to cast another female actor in his upcoming movie. By claiming he was innocent, Vijay Babu said that the case was highly aggrieved by the one-sided approach of the authorities to make him a scapegoat for the purpose of news and the media. 

On the other hand, the female actor, in a detailed Facebook post, had divulged the extent of physical, mental torture, and sexual assault that she had faced from Vijay Babu. She said that Vijay Babu had blackmailed her by threatening to release private videos of her. She had then approached the police and filed a complaint against Vijay Babu on April 22 after which the actor went absconding. 

An FIR was filed against him under sections 376 - sexual assault, 323- voluntarily causing hurt, and 506 - criminal intimidation of the Indian Penal Code. After he absconded, Vijay Babu released a live Facebook video on April 26 in which he revealed the identity of the survivor. He said, "I respect the law of the land but here I am the victim and my name has come. So why shouldn't the other party's name come out too." 

While Vijay Babu had moved his anticipatory bail plea, a lookout notice and a blue corner notice were issued against him as he was absconding. After a month of being on the run, he had informed the court that he will reach India on May 30. However, it has now been expected that he will arrive in the country on June 1- Wednesday.