By: Akanksha
Two emerging Malayalam film actors, Athulya Chandra, 32, and Bibin Perumbally, 43, along with Bibin’s driver, K.B. Vishnu, 31, were arrested in Kochi by the Kadavanthra city police on Thursday for allegedly assaulting and robbing a 41 year old doctor, Dr. Johnson Varghese, a resident of Kureekad in Ernakulam who works at a leading multispecialty hospital in the city.
The incident took place between 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on Monday, November 2, 2026, at a third-floor flat in an apartment complex in Ponnurunni, Vyttila, used to accommodate members of the film industry, after the doctor was lured there on the pretext of an urgent medical call for an unwell relative.
Police sources stated that Athulya allegedly plotted the crime to extort money through blackmail because she knew her relative was close to the doctor and had accessed digital evidence of their relationship.
However, the case took a major twist on Friday when the Infopark police registered a rape case against the doctor after the actor’s relative, a woman in her early 50s, alleged that he had given her alcohol to incapacitate her and sexually assaulted her in a hotel room in early October 2026. The doctor has reportedly gone into hiding, and police are taking steps to issue a lookout circular against him.
The incident began on the night of November 2 when Athulya contacted the doctor, claiming that her aunt, a close relative, was seriously ill and required urgent medical attention.
The First Information Report (FIR) revealed that 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.
The doctor claimed that 12 people attacked him, accusing him of drugging, administering narcotic substances to, and raping the aunt of one of the accused. He alleged that the actress abused him and threatened to kill him while he was being brutally assaulted several times. The stolen valuables, which are yet to be recovered, included two mobile phones and a smartwatch collectively valued at approximately Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 3.25 lakh.
The doctor lodged a complaint two days later, on November 4, stating that he had been afraid of the gang after they allegedly threatened him with dire consequences if he disclosed the incident. The police registered an FIR naming 12 accused, including an actor-producer, one identifiable person, and nine others whose identities are yet to be established, under the non-bailable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): Section 127/127(2) (wrongful confinement), Section 115/115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), Section 296/296(b) (obscene acts, words, and songs), Section 351/351(2) (criminal intimidation), and Section 310 (robbery and dacoity).
An officer said that 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. They are searching for nine others involved in the assault, which was allegedly planned by Athulya, according to The Indian Express report.
The three arrested accused, Bibin Perumbally, Athulya Chandra, and K.B. Vishnu (who has eight criminal cases against him), have been remanded in judicial custody, and the police will seek their custody for further investigation.
Also Read: Rajasthan Nurse Arrested for Allegedly Blackmailing Doctor, Extorting Nearly ₹2 Crore
According to The Indian Express, Athulya Chandra is a law graduate who practiced at the Kerala High Court under a prominent criminal lawyer. She made her Malayalam film debut in the 2019 Mammotty-starrer Ganagandharvan, directed by Ramesh Pisharody, now a Congress legislator, and subsequently appeared in Tamil and Telugu films. Her breakthrough came as Tessa in the 2025 Malayalam film Dies Irae, which also featured Pranav Mohanlal, the son of superstar Mohanlal. Her alleged involvement comes as she was poised to take up several projects in the South Indian film industry.
Meanwhile, Bibin Perumbally has been associated with the film industry for more than a decade in supporting roles.
The case took another turn on Friday when Athulya’s relative approached the Infographic police, alleging that Dr. Varghese had given her alcohol to incapacitate her and sexually assaulted her in a hotel room in early October 2026.According to reports, the woman alleged that the doctor, who was known to her family and had previously provided medical treatment to her, gave her alcohol at a hotel near Infopark before sexually assaulting her. She reportedly told investigators that fear of the doctor having recorded compromising photographs or videos of the incident had prevented her from approaching the police earlier.
The doctor has reportedly gone into hiding following the registration of the case. Infopark police are conducting a search for him and are taking steps to issue a lookout circular to prevent him from leaving the country.
The investigation took another turn after police examined the mobile phones taken from Dr. Varghese during the alleged assault at the Vyttila apartment. According to Onmanorama, the phones were subsequently handed over to the Infopark police for examination.
The examination reportedly revealed private videos showing the doctor in intimate situations with around 12 women. Police are investigating whether these recordings were used to blackmail or intimidate the women.
A senior police officer told Onmanorama that no other complaints had been received so far and that additional cases could be registered if more women come forward.
These aspects remain subject to investigation.
Also Read: Gujarat Doctor Installs Spy Camera in Clinic, Demands ₹25 Lakh Ransom; 3,000+ Videos Recovered
On November 7, the Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-VIII rejected the bail applications of all three arrested accused: Athulya Chandra, Bibin Perumbally and K.B. Vishnu.
The Kadavanthra police opposed their release, stating that the investigation was still at a preliminary stage, custodial interrogation was necessary and nine other suspects allegedly involved in the assault and robbery were yet to be traced.
The three accused remain in judicial custody as the police continue their investigation into the alleged assault, robbery and possible extortion attempt.
The counter-complaint alleging that alcohol was given to incapacitate a woman before sexual assault raises the issue of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA), which can involve alcohol as well as other psychoactive substances. Alcohol- and drug-facilitated sexual assault occurs when a person’s ability to consent, resist or recall events is impaired by alcohol or other substances.1,3
Alcohol affects the central nervous system and can impair judgement, coordination and decision-making. At higher levels of intoxication, it can cause drowsiness, loss of consciousness and memory impairment. Alcohol-related blackouts may involve fragmentary memory loss or a complete inability to recall events during a period of intoxication.3,4
A 2017 systematic review by Anderson et al. found that alcohol was the most commonly detected substance in reported cases of suspected DFSA, with other drugs also frequently detected in combination. The authors highlighted the importance of collecting toxicological samples promptly because delays can complicate the identification of substances.3
However, the available reports about the Kochi case do not establish whether toxicological testing was conducted or whether alcohol or any other substance was detected in the woman's samples. The allegations remain subject to investigation.
References:
1. Papadodima, Stella A., Sotiris A. Athanaselis, and Chryssoula Spiliopoulou. “Toxicological Investigation of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assaults.” International Journal of Clinical Practice 61, no. 2 (2007): 259–64.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17263712/.
2. Fiorentin, Thais R., and Barry K. Logan. “Toxicological Findings in 1000 Cases of Suspected Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault in the United States.” Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 61 (2019): 56–64.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30453150/.
3. Anderson, Laura Jane, Asher Flynn, and Jennifer Lucinda Pilgrim. “A Global Epidemiological Perspective on the Toxicology of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault: A Systematic Review.” Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 47 (2017): 46–54.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28284121/.
4. Kerrigan, S. “The Use of Alcohol to Facilitate Sexual Assault.” Forensic Science Review 22, no. 1 (2010): 15–32.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26242453/.
(Rh/APC/MSM)